


Without You

by crazddreamer



Category: WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, It's a love story, Protective!Baron, Small amount of cum play, Sweet!Baron, Tags to be added as needed, Vaginal Sex, a work in progress, rude names for lesbians if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-25 07:52:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12526544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazddreamer/pseuds/crazddreamer
Summary: *ON HOLD*Riley Wilkens and Baron Corbin have known each other for a few years, but only recently started dating upon her promotion to Smackdown's Digital Design Team. As their feelings for each other grow, Riley must deal with her insecurities and trepidation, even as everything seems to crumble around them.Or...the one where the make-up lady is an evil no-gooder and causes a shitstorm.Title of Fic from Breaking Benjamin





	1. Chapter 1

My office was small, just a little bigger than a closet, but I didn’t need a lot of space. And considering how often I found myself working off of a rolling crate backstage at WWE venues, this was pure luxury. A flat top for my laptop and a badass Wi-Fi connection, and I was off and rolling.

Working in the quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of backstage, was a rare opportunity, so I tried hard to focus on my task, creating graphics for Smackdown’s TV production. I had graduated from Full Sail University just the year prior, and had quickly been snatched up by WWE due to my intern work at NXT. It was a dream come true, as I had fallen in love with the production side of wrestling after seeing my first NXT show at orientation.

That was how they welcomed new students, an NXT show. Of course, it was optional. More like a welcome party than a true orientation. But that was how I fell in love wrestling again. My brother and I had watched the late 90’s and early 2000’s wrestling when we were younger, but when our parents split, wrestling seemed to be forgotten between juggling dual households and therapy.

It was also where I met my boyfriend, Baron Corbin. Of course, then, he was just another guy I had to work with, neither of us looking for a relationship due to our workloads, and because of my extreme shyness, we had only spoken a few words to each other total. 

But once I started touring with the Smackdown crew, things changed. I got closer to Becky Lynch, and I invariably got closer to Baron, as those two were best friends and glued at the hip. They were kind to me, including me when they went out for dinner or drinks, I had been to both of their houses, and they had been to mine. As time progressed, Baron seemed to finally notice me as a woman, and not as a tag-along computer nerd. 

A buzz from my phone jarred me back from my nostalgic run. My hands were still poised over the keyboard to my laptop like I had been ghostwriting, knuckles cramping from being in one position for too long. Picking my phone up, I saw a text from Becky. She had sent a picture, and upon opening it, I smiled to myself. She and Charlotte Flair were in the makeup department getting ready for tonight’s show, the one I was supposed to have graphics completed for. Silly looks plastered on their faces, they looked like they were having fun.

Replying with a laughing emoji, I sighed, putting my phone to the side. I needed to get this done before someone tracked me down. Match graphics were needed, and that was simple enough, so I started there. I already had the template built, I just needed to program the sliding text and insert the names and pictures.

Finally able to focus, I sent the images to the production team for final review, happy to have one thing off my plate. Another text had me rolling my eyes but I was unable to ignore my phone for any reason. And this time I was glad I didn’t. Kevin Dunn, my head boss and Executive Vice President of Television Productions, wanted to see me immediately. I wasn’t even aware he was in the building, but his text had me scrambling, shoving my laptop and mouse into my bag and hauling ass down the hallway to where I had been told to meet him.

Finding the correct door, down some dimly lit hallway, I knocked, and was bade to enter. Kevin sat at a wooden table, just like the ones hidden underneath the ring out in the arena, papers spread all over it, his own laptop open, and he was just hanging up his cell phone.

“Riley!” He jumped out of his seat and leaned over to shake my hand. “Good to see you. Sorry I don’t have anywhere for you to sit…” He trailed off, his hand gesturing to the mess around him.

I shook my head, tugging the strap of my bag higher up my shoulder. “Not a problem. I think better on my feet.”

Smiling, he nodded and looked me over. I could be called mousy, I suppose. I was small, only 5’3”, petite, my brown hair was long, but I usually kept it up in a ponytail for convenience. Trying to peer over a computer screen with hair falling in my face was unbearable, so I carried hair bands at all times. One in my hair, one on my wrist (never knew if the one in my hair might break), and a few in my satchel (to replace the one on my wrist). 

My eyes were green, dull, but green nonetheless, my nose round, and I could feel a zit starting on my chin. Not Nikki Bella by any means, but I wasn’t horrible to look at. I just wasn’t overly concerned about my appearance when I had a job to do, a job that I loved, and one that I spent most of my time focusing on.

Kevin’s perusal of me was not sexual in the least. It was more like he was assessing my general state. It was something I had become used to when working at NXT. We computer geeks, as the wrestlers so lovingly referred to us, had bad habits of forgoing food and just binging on Monster energy drinks to get us through each project. So I let Kevin check me for bags under my eyes and jitters, and once I felt sure I passed, I blinked up at him. “Is everything ok?”

“Oh, sure, sure!” Reaching behind him, he picked up a piece of paper from his makeshift desk. “The head graphic designer on Raw is going on maternity leave in a few weeks. I’ve spoken to our team here and we want to offer you the chance to cover her while she’s out.”

My mind felt blown. “Me? Really?”

“Your work is amazing, Riley. You are precise, quick, and creative, everything we need for both brands.”

Kevin’s words were flattering, to say the least. “Can I ask what will need to be done?” I felt my voice tremble and I silently cursed myself. My nerves were showing. This was a big deal, a step up. If I could handle the job, and handle the pressure, I could find myself working out of Stamford or Los Angeles. 

Handing me the piece of paper, he pointed to the words typed on it. “This is a printout of her last email to me. It details her duties, and if you accept, I want you to email her to set up a Webex meeting to go into more detail.”

Webex meetings were pretty standard for me. The production team had them almost everyday, and Corporate liked to do them at least twice a week. They were simple call-in type conference calls with someone, usually Kevin, displaying different graphics mock ups or spreadsheets on the screen that was linked to their computer. In essence, I could see someone’s work from anywhere in the world.  
Looking up at him, I asked, “When do you need an answer by?”

He looked apologetic. “By tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I’m sorry for the quick turnaround, and to be honest, I let this one slip by me. I kept tabling it until I couldn’t table it anymore.”

I always liked Kevin. I could respect any person who admitted his or her mistakes, and I respected anyone in the position of power, like Kevin was, who could do that easily even more. “I’ll take a look at it and let you know.”

Kevin’s phone rang in his pocket and he waved me out as he took the call. Closing the door behind me, I walked slowly down the hall, reading the memo in my hands. My focus was so absolute, that I didn’t realize that I had wandered into the makeup area.

“Girlie!”

I knew that Irish voice anywhere, and I looked up to find Becky in a chair getting her hair braided at the temples for tonight’s show. Next to her, Charlotte was having her makeup applied. Smiling faintly at the two of them, I approached.

“Hey. I love your hair,” I complimented.

Becky beamed at me, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “Thank you. What are you up to? I hardly ever see you haunting these halls.”

She was right. I tended to keep to myself, my shyness keeping me cloistered in small rooms or off to the side where I wouldn’t be forced to directly interact with people. I was very cautious on who I let close to me, the result of one too many people bolting out of my life. While I was hyper-aware of it, it was still second nature to hang back, to observe, and to basically stay by myself. It was probably why Baron and I got along so well.

“I had to talk to Dunn,” I finally replied, realizing I had stayed quiet for far too long. Becky was used to my odd behavior, and she never called me out on it.

Charlotte was still getting used to me, and me to her. I liked the woman, and I admired that she was such a dedicated person, no matter what she was doing. “Good news, I hope,” Charlotte said, her eyes closed as Tanya, the makeup artist, applied shadow to her lids.

“Um,” I felt my voice squeak, and I felt like melting into a puddle right there. I always tried to appear confident, but I was mostly just lying to myself. “I think it will be.”

Charlotte smiled faintly but didn’t comment. Becky’s grin lit the room up. “Whatever it is, it will be great. Hey, Baron told me he wanted you to find him before his match tonight. Something about dinner plans?”

I nodded. Becky relaying messages between Baron and I was not unusual. Baron hated phones, texting or calling, and he struggled just to write out a coherent Tweet or Instagram post. So Becky was our Owl, and she seemed to love every minute of it.

A snort caught me by surprise, and I saw Charlotte lean away from Tanya, an assessing look on her face. I would not want to be on the receiving end of it. “Is there a problem?”

Tanya looked between Charlotte, Becky, and myself, her black hair spilling over her shoulders in beautiful waves. Tattoos lined her arms, dotted her neck, and spread across her chest, as seen peeking out from her large baggy sweater. Her jade green eyes locked onto me, and I suddenly felt two inches tall. “I’m just surprised Corbin is playing with her, that’s all. Seems a waste of his time.”

My stomach seemed to want to come out of my throat. Becky’s hand went up in the air and Sarah, the hairdresser, backed off, taking the flat iron she was using with her. “What did you just say?”

Tanya shrugged, her attention going back to Charlotte, who had a look of utter disgust on her face. “She’s not Corbin’s type at all.”

The implication was clear. I was a geek, a nerd, whatever you wanted to call me, and Baron was the bad boy with an ego. I had asked myself that question many times as Baron pursued me. Why was he wasting his time with me? He could have literally any woman he wanted, and I could never figure out what it was about me that he seemed interested in. 

A sound very close to a growl rumbled from Becky. “You watch your mouth. You don’t know either one of them, so you would do well to keep your opinions to yourself.”

I was invisible. They were arguing about me as if I wasn’t even there. Actually, the thought of just taking a few steps back, slowly, to see if I could escape the situation crossed my mind, but Charlotte stood, looking for all the world like she was going to rip Tanya’s head off. “I’ll finish my own makeup, thank you.”

Her “thank you” was really a “fuck off.”

Looking at Becky, Charlotte only shook her head and left the area. I felt super confused, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do next. Stay? Argue with Tanya? About what? Wasn’t she right, really? Was I supposed to leave? I wanted to leave. But should I try to say something flippant before going? I was never very good at being catty. I could give her a death glare and turn around, stomping off. No, that wouldn’t work, my glares were usually too close to squinting to be effective. 

“I have to go,” I squeaked out before I was fully ready to react, another one of my abilities. My impulse control was next to zero. Quickly turning, I managed to skirt around the lights that were set up, but my foot caught on a wire and naturally, I tripped.

Staying on my own two feet was a miracle, but I achieved it. My face burning, I high-tailed it back to my closet-office, all but slamming the door behind me once I reached it.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Baron who found me. After getting back to my office, I smothered myself with work. I answered emails, edited graphics, and pulled out my sketch book to mock up some rough drafts for the next pay per view. 

A soft knock sounded and I looked over my shoulder to see Baron peek his head in. “Hey Baby, I finally found you.”

Baron made me melt. As much as my brain screamed there was no way he was actually interested in me, I couldn’t deny my heart, or my panties for that matter. He was always extra gentle with me, as if I would break in half at the slightest amount of pressure, and extremely patient. 

The man was a saint. We’d been dating two months, and hadn’t had sex yet. And he hadn’t even mentioned it. I wanted to, very much so, but as soon as we’d reach that point in our very heavy make out sessions, I’d freeze, my body shaking or I’d feel nauseous from nerves. Never once did Baron make me feel guilty for it, or pressure me in any way. He’d hold me, kissing my head, telling me what we had was enough.

I knew better, but I appreciated the words just the same.

Smiling at him as he closed the door I shrugged. “If you knew how to work a phone you would have found me earlier.”

He laughed a little, leaning over to kiss me on the lips. “I know how to work it, I just hate it.”

I hummed in my throat, loving how he stood over me. Being small was one thing, but when your boyfriend was over a foot taller than you, it was another. Some women might not like it, but Baron’s size and strength turned me on faster than I could blink. “What’s going on?”

Tugging his beanie out of his back pocket, he pulled it on, making me sad as he stuffed his long hair into it. Really, I adored both looks, but being able to reach out and touch his hair made me feel special. “Dinner. Got plans?”

Glancing at my sketchbook, I saw a line I didn’t like and set to erasing it with my pencil. “No.”

He leaned against the wall crossing his arms, and I noticed he was in his wrestling gear. His match must be soon. “Ok if I invite Becky and Charlotte?”

I shrugged, not looking at him. The line on the paper was gone now, but I continued to erase where it had been. “That’s totally fine. Have them pick where they want to eat. You and I always go to the same places.”

It was true, we were creatures of habit. But when you didn’t have a lot of time, you tended to go with what you know. That usually included a Longhorn Steakhouse or an Olive Garden.

“Riley.”

I looked up at him, his brown eyes cautiously watching me. ‘Hmm?”

“Are you alright?” His tone was soft, a juxtaposition to what he presented in the ring.

“Of course. I got an offer to cover the Raw Graphics Director while she’s out on maternity leave, and I’m trying to decide if I want to accept it.” It wasn’t a lie. I really was thinking about that, but I was also thinking about Tanya. That whole situation shook me more than I wanted to really analyze.

Baron smiled, dazzling me. Such a rare sight and I was one of the few lucky enough to see it. “That’s amazing, Baby. Are you going to take it?”

I shrugged. “I feel like I have to. It’s not really an opportunity I can pass up.”

Sweeping down, Baron kissed me on the top of my head. I forgot how fast he could move sometimes. “Whatever you do, I’m proud of you. Look, I gotta go, my match is in about 15 minutes. I’ll track Becky down and I’ll meet you after the show, ok?”

Nodding, I kissed his cheek and watched him leave the room. Baron was always super supportive of me, and I felt grateful he was as attentive as he was. I knew some other girls whose boyfriends or husbands didn’t really get involved in their lives, and it broke my heart to see their passion get squashed. 

I went back to my sketch, erasing more lines and adding a few. My heart wasn’t really in it. I should have been focusing on covering my co-worker, on getting that lined up and into place, but instead I was thinking about Tanya’s words, and why they bothered me so much.

Self-esteem was like a bad word to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any, it was that I only had a certain amount, and it was directly related to my skills with a computer. I was good at my job, and I knew I could be great too. But when it came to me as a person, I struggled with my self-worth. I felt that I looked average, and I had nothing to offer anyone. No matter how many times my brother, or Becky, or Baron, listed my so-called wonderful personality traits, I just couldn’t believe them.

Time passed quickly, and I was packing up when I received a text from Becky telling me that they were waiting for me at the rental car. Making my way there, I passed Trinity and her husband Jon, one half of The Usos. 

“Riley!” Jon cheered as I passed, sticking his hand up in the air for me to high five him. This was a routine everytime he saw me. He’d yell my name, put his hand up as high as he could, and force me to jump to be able to reach him. 

Narrowing my eyes at him, I gripped the shoulder strap of my bag and leaped, smacking my hand against his. “Ha! I got it!”

Trinity laughed, shaking her head. “Jon why do you do that to her?”

Jon feigned offense as I continued walking past him. “What? It’s probably the only exercise she gets. Both ya’ll should be thanking me!”

Trinity backhanded his shoulder, and I rolled my eyes. “You are teasing that short girl!” They were a great couple, and I adored the both of them. Seeing how much love and respect they had for each other usually made me tear up, which was incredibly embarrassing.

Finding our car in the crowded parking garage was not hard. Baron and Charlotte towered over almost every vehicle, save the SUVs, and Becky’s orange hair was like a beacon lighting my way. “Hi,” I greeted them.

The three of them turned to me, all smiling. Blinking rapidly, I felt like I had won the friend lottery. I thought of that saying, “One out of four friends is ugly. If it isn’t them, it’s you.” Completely accurate.  
Baron kissed my cheek and took my bag, adding it to the others in the back of the car. Since Baron and Charlotte were the tallest, they took the front seats, Baron driving. “Did you decide where we are going to eat?” I asked Becky, buckling my seatbelt.

“Chipotle,” she responded, typing something out on her phone. 

In the front seat, Charlotte’s phone chimed. She looked at it, then swiveled in her seat to glare at Becky, before turning back around. Suspicious, I thought, but I was momentarily distracted by Baron’s face as he looked over his shoulder to check oncoming traffic.

That was pretty normal. Baron astounded me. There were quite a few times he’d caught me with my mouth open staring at him. Usually he’d just laugh, close my mouth with a finger on my chin, and give me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m not that great, Baby.”

Oh, but he was.

I was head over heels for him. To outsiders, Baron was gruff and, well, spoiled. Entitled. And he could act like that with others, but not to those close to him. A select few got to see Baron for who he really was, a caring, loving, funny guy who genuinely wanted to support his friends and family. 

Chipotle was a short distance from the arena, which was great because it felt like my stomach was eating itself. Baron parked and we all got out, Baron and Charlotte bickering about who was going to pay. It was harmless teasing, we always paid for our own meals. Baron liked to needle Charlotte, and Charlotte enjoyed doing the same. While Baron loved Becky, he loved to hate Charlotte.

It was late, so there weren’t a lot of people around. We got through the line with our food quickly and picked seats at a high top table. 

“I didn’t know there were 24-hour Chipotle’s,” Charlotte said, mixing her salad together.

Baron nodded, taking a bite of his burrito. “Not many, but a few in the bigger cities.”

“Thank God,” Becky sighed, all but inhaling whatever it was that was on her plate. 

The conversation was light, everyone too focused on their food to really carrying much of a conversation. Every once in a while, Baron’s hand would ghost over my thigh, a light squeeze, or a rub. I refused to look at him, but I could feel the blush creeping up my skin.

“I’m still so pissed at Tanya I could slam her into the turnbuckle.”

Charlotte’s hissed statement had me snapping my eyes up to see her stabbing the lettuce with her fork. I did not want to talk about this.

“Tanya? The makeup lady?” Baron asked, confused. “Why what happened?”

Glaring at Charlotte, Becky tried to diffuse the situation. “Nothing, we handled it.”

Charlotte slammed her plastic fork down onto the table, pointing at Baron. Not much for impact, but the idea was the same. “He should know!”

“It’s not up to you to decide that!” Becky yelled at her.

It was like watching your parents fight, which I was all too familiar with. You wanted neither of them to win, just to shut up and go back to being happy.

“What are you two freaking out about? What should I know?” Baron wiped his hands with a napkin, then draped an arm over the back of my seat.

Charlotte huffed. “We had a little argument in the makeup department with Tanya this afternoon. About Riley.”

If my face wasn’t red before, it sure as Hell was now. “It was nothing.”

Shifting in his seat, Baron leaned onto the table a little. “Are you ok? What happened? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

God, I just wanted to disappear. I hated causing problems for people, or getting into situations where they were concerned. It made my skin crawl.

“It really was nothing,” I repeated. “Not worth mentioning.” 

Baron wasn’t buying it. Looking away from me, he locked eyes with Becky. “I want the whole story.”

It was too late now, Protective Baron was coming out to play. Truthfully, there were only a handful of times I could remember Baron acting this way. There was the time a guy got handsy with Becky in a bar, the time my apartment complex had a peeping Tom, and when his mother was in a car accident. Thankfully, she was ok, only minor bumps and bruises, but Baron was full on ferocious. He just got upset when those he cared for where in danger or hurt.

Becky sighed, pushing her bowl away from her. Knowing I wasn’t going to say a word, she only nodded at Baron. “Tanya apparently has a thing for you. She didn’t say so specifically, but the way she was telling Charlotte and I that she didn’t know why you wasted your time on Riley, we caught the message.”

I was focused on my hands in my lap, dreaming about being anywhere but here.

Charlotte’s face twisted in disgust. “She was rude and crass.”

Baron’s hand wrapped around both of mine and he squeezed. “Riley?” I looked up at him. “You and I are going to talk about this later, but I want you to hear this right now, ok? I’m with you because I like you, do you understand?”

Well no, I didn’t understand, but I only nodded. 

“Are you ladies done?” At everyone’s affirmation, he stood up. “Ok, let’s get going. We have a couple hours drive ahead of us.”


	3. Chapter 3

Arriving at the next town a few hours later, we unloaded the car and checked in, Becky and Charlotte in one room, and Baron and I getting our own rooms. We hadn’t made that step yet, into sharing space. I was a morning person, and Baron was most definitely not, and that was the excuse we made to each other when that discussion came up.

“I’ll put my stuff away and meet you at your room?” Baron asked.

Damn, he still wanted to talk. I was hoping he would forget what happened on the drive over, but no such luck. “Sure. Room 354.”

Giving my hand a quick squeeze he headed off toward the first-floor hallway, and I went to the elevators. The ride up was quick, and I found my room with no issues. I quickly went to the bathroom and was washing my hands when Baron knocked on the door.

Taking the towel with me to dry my hands, I opened the door for him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replied, moving past me. “Did you get chocolates on your pillow?”

Smiling, I put the towel back in the bathroom, then joined him on the queen-sized bed. We were facing each other, each had one leg on the floor and the other crossed in front of us. We seemed to do that a lot, mirror each other. I doubted he ever noticed. “No, I didn’t get chocolates. Did you?”

“Yeah, it was weird. I mean, this place isn’t The Ritz, you know?”

Baron’s beanie was low over his eyes, and his shirt was open at the throat, giving me a teasing glimpse of his caged heart tattoo. I felt my mouth water and my skin start to tingle. 

Slowly, Baron’s hand reached out and cupped the side of my neck, catching a few strands of my hair in his fingers. “I feel like I haven’t given you a proper kiss all day,” he said, leaning into me.

My heart picked up speed and I met him halfway. As his lips ghosted over mine, silently asking for permission like he always did, I put my hand on his thigh and squeezed. Pressing his mouth against mine, I moaned, feeling utterly shredded when he touched me in anyway. I wished I could let go of my fear long enough to have him inside of me.

Baron’s tongue slid across the seam of my lips, and I eagerly allowed him in, our tongues dancing together in a rhythm I was very familiar with now. The hand at the nape of my neck moved to my cheek, and Baron pushed back slowly, causing a groan of dissatisfaction to come out of me. Chuckling, he gave me another quick peck before dropping his hand. “We have something to talk about.”

The urge to run overcame me, but I tried to sit still. “Really, Baron, it was nothing.”

His brown eyes searched my face. “I think you are trying to underplay it. Listen, I get that this stuff makes you uncomfortable, but I feel like you aren’t hearing me when I tell you how much I like you.”

Biting my lip, I repressed the urge to throw up. Talking about myself, or anyone talking about me, made my skin crawl. “I hear you.”

“But you don’t believe me.”

His words were simple, and true, but I could hear frustration in his tone. I tried to keep my eyes on his, I wanted him to know I respected him, no matter how much the topic of conversation bothered me. “I’m sorry. I’m trying. It’s more about me than you. Really Baron, I believe what you say, and I believe what you feel, but I don’t believe in me.”

They were words I had said to my therapist many times. Over time I had gotten better, but I still had hangups. And relationships brought out the worst of my self-doubt. 

“Tell me exactly what Tanya said.”

I couldn’t continue to look at him, so my eyes roamed the hotel room. “She said she didn’t understand why you wasted your time with me. That you could do better.”

Baron snorted, causing me to look at him again. “Better than you? Is she crazy?”

I only shrugged, the question not needing an answer. “Baron, it’s not your job to make me feel better.”

He glared at me, but there was no heat behind his eyes. “That is exactly what my job is. And I like my job and take great pride in it, so come here!” He grabbed me around my waist, making me shriek as he hauled me on top of his lap before flipping us so that he was laying on top of me.

I never minded when he did that, no matter how much it limited the air in my lungs. He was warm and he was safe, and it was a glorious feeling. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him, humming in my throat when he pulled my hairband from my head and delved his hands into the mess. 

Leaning back from me, Baron watched my face, a soft look in his eyes. I never understood it, but he did that often. “I cherish you, Riley.”

My stomach fluttered and my romantic heart sped up. What world did I live in where the Lone Wolf said those words? Smiling up at him, I ran my hand down his cheek and over his short beard. “That’s all I need.”

We spent the next hour watching old reruns of MacGyver, me sprawled across his large chest and his arm wrapped around my waist. Sooner than I wanted, he was kissing my forehead and saying goodnight, heading to his room to get some rest. One day, one day, I swore I would have enough guts to stop him and ask him to stay, and actually be able to make it worth his while.


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow, I ended up face to face with Tanya the next day at the arena. It was pure happenstance that my work area was in the same hallway as hair and makeup, and I almost ran into her when I walked out of the door. I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling ice prick my skin where her eye daggers were stabbing me. I was unfailingly polite, to a fault, so I faked a smile and tried to move past her, my eyes searching for anyone to come save me.

Tanya’s hand snaked out and grabbed my upper arm, pulling me next to her. “So Baron and I had a little chat today. Wanna know what he said?”

No, I didn’t, but she didn’t wait for my answer.

“He told me to stay away from you, to stop bothering you. I don’t remember bothering you, do you?” Her voice was low in my ear, and her tone was threatening.

All I could see were her silver hoop earrings, and a strange symbol inked on the lobe of her ear. “I’ll talk to Baron, and tell him everything is fine.”

“Oh good!” She chirped, as if she had not been squeezing the blood out of my arm. Finally letting go, she almost pushed me away, and right into Corey Graves.

Corey had been Baron’s friend since their NXT days, and while I didn’t know him very well, I could tell the look in his eyes was not good. “Riley,” he greeted me.

“Uh,” I stumbled over my words. “Hi Corey. I was just leaving. Have a production meeting to attend.”

His blue eyes watched me trip over my own two feet and scurry down the hall, but I still heard him address Tanya. “You are causing problems, girl.”

I avoided that hallway as long as I could, finding a spot in the skybox above the arena to make an office so that I could concentrate. Usually it was against the rules, but I hoped no one caught me before the show. The box was spacious, two leather couches faced each other, and a couple of club chairs faced the glass overlooking the arena itself. It was complete with flat screen TVs and a fully stocked bar.  
I set myself up on the one of the couches, my sneaker covered feet resting on the glass coffee table in front of me. My phone rang after an hour of me working diligently on the match digitals. Answering it, I was pleased to hear my brother, Colin, on the other end. 

“Hey you!” I greeted, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“How is my favorite sister?”

Rolling my eyes, I still felt a smile spread across my face. “I’m your only sister.”

“And that’s why you are my favorite.”

Our phone conversations always started out this way. While it could get annoying, it was our way of normalcy, and it always made me feel better after a horrible day. Colin and I were best friends, we had learned to lean on each other in our younger years. We bickered, but it was never serious, and he was always available to listen when I needed advice. I was lucky to have him.

“Did you space out?” he asked, a tinge of humor in his voice.

Crap, I didn’t hear a word he said. “Sorry. I’m hiding from the makeup lady.”

“Do I want to know why?” 

I shook my head, knowing he couldn’t see me. “It’s not a big deal. What’s going on with you?” 

He sighed, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. “It’s that time of year again. Which parent are we disappointing? Mom or Dad?”

Thanksgiving was in a couple of months, but Colin was right, this was the time Mom and Dad would start bickering over who’s house we celebrated holidays at. It could get nasty. “We went to Mom’s last Thanksgiving, and Dad’s on Christmas. I thought we were going to switch?”

“That’s right. I forgot as soon as the texts started flying. Any idea why they insist on group chatting with me? Why don’t you get roped into it?” His tone was light, like he was joking, but I knew Colin better than anyone. He was irritated.

“They don’t text me because I have a big important job. You should get one.” I was only teasing. Colin was a manager at a bank in downtown Tampa, and doing very well for himself. Honestly, my parents should not be harassing my brother at work, but I wasn’t going to step in to tell them.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to add you to this conversation. Some of the stuff they say to each other is just disgusting.” It was an empty threat. He knew the arguing always turned me into a nervous ball of jitters, and he would never subject me to that. If he was anything, my big brother was very protective of me.

I changed the subject. “How’s that new girlfriend?”

He snorted, and I smiled. “Gone. She tried to tell me I had to get rid of Hoot.”

Laughing to myself, I shook my head. Hoot was my brother’s old hound dog, who might as well be his life partner. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw it was nearing 3pm. While nowhere near showtime, production would start testing lights and music soon, and I needed to get back to my office space in case I was needed. 

“How dare she?” I asked, standing to pack my laptop. “I hope Hoot bit her on the ass on the way out.”

Colin laughed. “Nah, he slept through the whole fight. You know how he is. If there isn’t food involved, he doesn’t care.”

Smiling, I left the skybox and walked down the hallway. “True. Look I gotta go. I love you, ok?”

“I love you too, Riley. I’ll let the ‘rents know the deal about the holidays. Don’t worry about that, alright?”

“Got it. Thank you.”

“Always.”

I hung up and made my way down the elevator to the mezzanine floor before finding the stairs that lead into the arena itself. I was lucky to have Colin in my life, and in truth, I had surrounded myself with pretty good people over the last year. While my group was small, I knew I could trust them, which was a priceless feeling for me.

In the ring, The New Day, Kofi, Xavier, and Big E, were running ropes and cracking jokes. I passed by them, only offering a wave as I did, even though they called to me to join them. I rolled my eyes, because I was not getting in the ring for anyone, for no amount of money. My clumsiness and awkwardness was too painful to bear.

Backstage, I made my way towards my office, ducking out of the way of the crew as they moved past. Rounding the corner, I was momentarily blinded by the lights of the makeup area, but once my eyes adjusted, I knew who stood there. Trinity and Natalya were in the chairs, Sarah attending to Nattie, but Tanya had her back to me. And her hand on Baron’s arm.

He was standing next to my office door, his brow was furrowed, and his mouth seemed to be moving pretty fast. His head was dipped low towards her, a bit too close than I really felt comfortable with. I swallowed heavily. I could probably still turn back around and disappear, and no one would be the wiser. 

“Girl, are you done yet?” Trinity’s voice was like a whiplash. She was irritated. And it took a lot to get her that way. “I’ve been waiting here for 10 minutes for you to finish my eyeshadow. I could have been gone by now!”

Tanya said something to her, then looked back at Baron, stepping towards him, her hand moving to press against his chest. Baron took a step back, and then another, and I suddenly felt my feet moving towards them. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got there, but the look of panic on Baron’s face had me reacting before I knew what I was doing.

“Baron?”

His head snapped up and he looked at me with relief. “Riley! I was looking for you.”

Tanya only turned her head to look at me, not backing off from my boyfriend. “Need something?”

It was a dare. Step up to her or back off. I wanted to retaliate, I wanted to be brave enough to get her to leave Baron alone, but I just wasn’t. “No,” was all I said, hating myself.

If I was a violent person, the smirk on Tanya’s face would have earned her a slap across the face. “I didn’t think so. Now, excuse us, we were talking.”

She turned away from me, effectively dismissing anything I was going to say, which actually was nothing. My stomach rolled, and I was beginning to sweat as I look up at Baron over her head. He was watching me, seemingly gauging my reactions. The expression on his face was something I couldn’t name, but it looked a lot like disappointment.

He reached up and grabbed Tanya’s wrist, not hard, just firmly, removing it from his chest. “For the last time, Tanya, do not touch me.”

Snatching her wrist out of his hand, she smirked at him, turning to pick up the brush that had Trinity’s eyeshadow on it. “I’ll text you later, Baron.”

What? She had his phone number? Was he replying to her texts? He never replied to mine. Or anyone else’s that I knew of. Was she being serious? 

Baron’s strong hand on my elbow snapped me out of my internal crisis as he steered me inside of my small room and closed the door behind us. I dropped my bag on the floor, wincing against the sound of my computer hitting the concrete. Baron’s back was to me, his hand on the back of his neck, his head hung low.

“Why?” he asked, his voice low and rumbly. “Why do you let her treat you that way? And me?”

Momentarily, I was confused. Frustration was rippling off of Baron’s shoulders, and as he turned to face me, I knew I was right earlier. He was disappointed. I just didn’t know why.  
“What?” 

“Say something to her! Fight back! You let her walk all over you, and I have to stand there and watch because I can’t punch her in the mouth!” Stepping towards me, he gripped my shoulders in his hands and tilted his head low to peer into my eyes. “You are my girlfriend, not her. You should be the only person putting their hands on me.”

He was right, I knew it. But I wasn’t hardwired to step up for myself. “I don’t know how.”

Sighing, he stood up straight, his hands falling to his sides. “I know you don’t, Riley. And you know what? I love every bit of you. You are passionate and caring and forgiving, and you are better than me.”

My eyes flicked up at the word love, but I knew he was just trying to emphasize what he was saying. “I’m not better than you, Baron. I’m sorry that I can’t fight for you. I’m sorry I don’t have that bone in my body that lets me get so damn mad I can slap the tattoos off her, it’s just not in me.”

A quick step towards me had Baron’s hands cupping my face and pressing me up against the table behind me, his lips catching mine by surprise. The force of his kiss had me rocking into the surface of the table, and while nothing was on it, the clatter against the concrete wall sounded like a shot had rung out. 

My hands gripped Baron’s large arms for balance as his tongue explored my mouth, making me lightheaded with how good it felt. Moaning, I rubbed my tongue against his, my eyes rolling into the back of my head behind my closed eyelids when I felt him capture it with his lips.

“You are amazing, and if I have to spend the rest of my life telling you that every day, I will gladly do it,” Baron whispered against me. His fingers pulled my hair tie out and speared through the falling locks, using his thumbs to tilt my chin up to meet his kisses.

I was a moaning mess now, hoisting myself up onto the table and pulling Baron into the space between my legs with one leg hooked behind his knee. “You are mine,” I sighed as his lips trailed down my neck.

“Yes,” he groaned. “And you are mine.” 

Almost methodically, Baron began to rub his hardness against me, drawing lewd moans from my mouth. “Oh my God, Baron. Jesus!”

“One day, when you are ready, this will feel so much better, Baby.” Stepping back from me, causing a whine, he smirked. “Until then, I’m going to leave this room, with a hard-on for everyone, especially Tanya, to see. Because you are the only one who does this to me, and no one else gets to have me.”

He turned, opening the door and striding out with confidence. Trembling and massively turned on, I locked eyes with Tanya, a small satisfied smile on my face. Tanya’s glare was ferocious, but I didn’t care. Baron was mine, and in that moment, I decided, I was going to make it official.


	5. Chapter 5

Baron and I said goodnight at the arena. He was headed straight to the airport for a redeye flight with Corey, since he had a physical the next morning. A quick kiss and a hug, and he was gone, leaving me in the very capable hands of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. My flight wasn’t until 8am the next morning, so I figured I could grab dinner in and catch up on Netflix.

The car ride to the hotel was full of Becky chattering while she drove and Charlotte navigating. I was fully aware that Baron had asked them to keep an eye on me, and it only annoyed me a little. I mean, who could get mad at The Lass Kicker and The Queen? Besides, I liked spending time with them.

“Becks, Babe, I said left,” Charlotte sighed.

“Oh God, I’m sorry!” Becky said, looking over her shoulder to see the hotel passing us by. I wasn’t sure I had ever heard Charlotte called Becky “Babe” before, and I found myself paying a little more attention to what was going on around me. “I’ll just turn around at this red light.”

“It says no u-turn. You’ll have to go up one more.” Charlotte was pointing at the windshield, but her other hand came up and gripped Becky’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s ok. Missing the turn isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

Becky was sniffling. Was she crying? I couldn’t tell from my spot in the backseat. “I just know you are hungry and tired and I want to get you there as soon as possible.”

Charlotte’s laugh was husky. “It’s only another minute. I won’t die between now and then.”

Successfully turning the car around at the red light Charlotte had guided her to, Becky seemed to calm down a little bit. Baron usually drove everywhere we went, and I had thought it was a control issue, or a man thing. I was now realizing it was probably because Becky was still trying to get used to the American rules of the road, although I didn’t think they were too different than Ireland. I was sure it was confusing sometimes though. Becky parked in the parking lot outside of the hotel and we all hauled ourselves out of the car and gathered our things.

“Are you going to eat with us?” Charlotte asked me, pausing before the automatic doors for them to open.

I shook my head. “No, I need to be at the airport by six, so I’ll just order room service.”

Becky gave me a fake frown and swooped in for a hug. “See you in a few days, right?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I was on the road with the crew almost every week, unless I was needed in Connecticut for some sort of meeting of the minds. “Of course. Go enjoy yourselves.”

They both gave me a small wave goodbye and turned, walking to the restaurant that was tucked inside the lobby. Charlotte’s arm was wrapped around Becky’s shoulders, who had her arm around Charlotte’s waist. Something was going on between them, I felt sure of it. Musing, I passed the reception desk and made my way to the elevator, wondering why they hadn’t said anything to me. The only thing I could come up with was that it was new. I hoped they weren’t afraid to tell me, I’d be thrilled for both women, no matter who they fell in love with.

Arriving on my floor, I heard my phone chime in my back pocket. Simultaneously digging that out and putting my key card in the lock of my door was a struggle, but I managed to do it. Glancing at the screen, I was shocked to see a text from Baron.

_Surprise! I know how to text, see? Call me Baby_

Great, now I had that Call Me Maybe song in my head. Dumping my stuff on the bed, I called Baron.

“Hello?”

“Hey you,” I said, unable to hold my smile back. Baron’s voice always made me giddy. So embarrassing.

“Hey. I just got off the plane. I wanted you to know I landed safely.”

Laughing, I kicked my shoes off and sat on the bed, grabbing the hotel binder with the room service menu in it. “You could have texted that.”

“What? You don’t want to hear my voice? Come on, I know what it does to you.” He laughed, and I heard Corey mumble something in the background.

“Oh my God, Baron, don’t do that when you are in public!” My face was flushed, and of course, as soon as Baron’s voice hit that low octave, my panties flooded. Squirming a little, I again tried to focus on the menu on my lap. “Am I going to see you tomorrow?”

I recognized the sounds of the traffic outside of the airport coming through the phone. “Count on it. I’ll come over in the afternoon. We can go swimming.”

“That sounds nice. I’m going to get something to eat and then go to bed, ok?”

“Ok Baby, goodnight.”

Remembering I wanted to ask him something, I shouted, “Wait!”

“What is it?” he asked. Then to Corey he said, “Dude where the Hell did you park? Australia?”

Corey told him to fuck off, making me laugh at their bickering. “I have a question, and if you can’t answer it due to confidentiality I understand.”

“Uh, ok,” he chuckled, obviously confused.

“Charlotte and Becky. Are they a thing?”

Baron was silent for a moment, and I could hear their footsteps echoing in the parking garage. “Um, yeah. I mean, they have been for a while. They are just really secretive about it. Cautious, you know?”

I bit my lower lip. “Are they going to care that I know? Or that you told me? You aren’t going to get in trouble, are you?”

“Well,” Baron chuckled. “I’m sure Charlotte will ream my ass out, but Becky will be ok. I’ll let her know I told you, so she won’t be blindsided.”

“I wanted to ask them earlier, but it seemed like a rude question, you know?”

“It will be ok.”

Deciding to lighten the mood up a little, I grinned. “Well thanks for making the time to talk to me on the phone.”

“I even texted you. I should get a prize.”

“Oh,” I drawled out, thinking about my resolve earlier today. “You’ll get a prize.”

I could almost sense Baron stopping in his tracks. His breathing got heavy, making my smile grow wider. “Are you teasing me?”

“Most definitely.”

Groaning mixed with car doors being unlocked in the background. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Baron.”

“Goodnight, Riley.”

I laid in bed that night, after eating a crappy salad from room service, unable to figure out where my new found flirtatious side was coming from. It was completely out of my comfort zone, but it felt freeing. Excitement ran through me at the thought of kissing Baron in less than 24 hours, and I hope against all hope that I’d be able to actually go through with my plan.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was warm on my skin, the Florida heat not quite unbearable yet. My shades were covering my eyes, but I also had them closed, listening to Baron swim laps in the pool at my apartment complex. He had arrived less than half an hour ago, and I was already in my suit, a maroon one piece with cut outs on the side, ready to go. Baron didn’t hesitate to jump in as soon as we arrived, but I needed some Vitamin D, so I chose a chair and leaned back, relaxing for the first time in weeks. 

Baron and I had a system. If we didn’t fly in together, we generally always met at my apartment, to either swim or watch movies. Sometimes we cooked dinner, but mostly we ordered in. My place was the central hub for our relationship, and I didn’t mind that at all. It allowed me to be in a comfortable setting, with no eyes on me other than Baron’s. 

So lost in my thoughts I didn’t hear him get out of the pool. Drops of water rained down on me, and my brow furrowed. It wasn’t supposed to rain today. Opening my eyes, I found Baron standing over me, a hungry look in his eyes. He was barechested, his wet hair secured by one of my hair ties, blue board shorts riding low on his hips. In the sunlight, his tattoos glistened drawing my attention specifically to the caged heart in the middle of his chest. “How long are you going to stare at me?” I asked him.

“As long as I want to. You are sexy in that swimsuit.” His eyes were hungry, and they roamed my body.

I smiled up at him. “Well thank you. But you are blocking my light.”

A shocked laugh barked out of him, and without missing a beat, he scooped me up in his arms, taking me with him to the deep end of the pool. “Baron no! My glasses!”

It was too late. He tossed me, my airtime considerable. I slammed into the water, knocking the breath out of me. I could feel my sunglasses fall off my face, but my lungs were screaming, so I swam to the surface, glaring when I met Baron’s eyes. He was still standing on the side of the pool, laughing for all he was worth.

“You are evil!” I sputtered, swimming to the opposite direction of where he was.

“I should be sorry, but I’m not. The look on your face was priceless.”

Hauling myself out of the water using the ladder, I stood on the concrete feeling like a wet dog. I wasn’t all dolled up to go to the pool, but I hadn’t intended to get my hair wet since I had an appointment at the salon the next day. Nothing better than someone else washing your hair. But now, I flipped my hair back and out of my eyes, shooting daggers at Baron, who had stopped laughing, but had a sexy smirk on his face. “You’re dead, Corbin.”

Still grinning, he just crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh really?” he dared.

Leaping into a run, I circled the deep end and ran up on him, taking him off guard as I threw my tiny body into his arms, knocking him off balance and sending both of us back into the pool. As we hit the water, Baron’s hold on me tightened, and his hard body was locked against mine as he swam us to the surface. He sputtered and swiped a hand across his face, his legs tangling in mine as he stood us up. His height was a major advantage in pools. Wrapping my arms around his neck I peppered him with kisses, laughing as he tried to catch his breath.

“Now who’s evil?” he asked, catching my lips with his.

“Still you. You are a bad influence.”

He hummed in his chest, his hands coming up to cup my ass and pull me closer. “I can make it up to you.”

My thoughts ran wild, especially since sex with Baron was already on my mind. “Really? How?”

“I can go get your sunglasses,” he laughed.

My hand flew to the top of my head, although I knew they weren’t there. “My glasses! Baron!” I whined. “You better rescue them or else you have to buy me a new pair!”

He suddenly pulled away from me, hoisting me in the air and tossing me so that I made another splash in the shallow end of the pool. It was half hearted, so my head didn’t go under and I watched as Baron laughed again, moving to where he had thrown me in earlier, before disappearing under the surface. His feet kicked out as he propelled himself down, and I watch as he suddenly pivoted, rocketing out of the water. “Got ‘em!” he yelled, holding them high over his head.

I sighed with relief. I wasn’t one to spend a lot of money on pricey material items, not that I thought anything was wrong with that. But those glasses were my present to myself when I got called to the main roster last year. If I lost them it would suck royally. 

“Are you gonna come get them?” he asked, cockiness radiating from every pore.

I tilted my head to the side, assessing my boyfriend. I loved seeing him in a playful mood, smiling and laughing. “No, you are going to bring them to me,” I challenged. I felt bold and confident, two adjectives that generally didn’t exist in my world. But seeing the happiness on Baron’s face made me feel good, and I wanted to return the favor to him.

“Oh, am I? Are you sure?” He spun the glasses between his thumb and forefinger, taunting me with them.

Deciding it was now or never, I nodded, hoping the look I gave him was sultry enough that he would follow me. Turning, I made my way to the concrete stairs in the shallow end, getting out of the pool, swaying my hips just a little bit more than was natural. Hopefully it wasn’t lewd, just tantalizing. It was a foreign motion of my body, but I kept going, internally crossing my fingers. As I passed by him, his body turning in the water to track my movements, I eyed him. “I’m done swimming, and I want to take this bathing suit off.” My gut clenched, a sign of my nerves starting to rise. I ignored it, gathering my towel and my phone when I reached the lounge chair I had been in. 

I heard Baron clear his throat. “We haven’t been out here long.”

Facing him, I smiled. “We’ve been out here long enough. I’m ready to go in.”

He was confused, I could tell by his expression. But he finally lowered his hand that had my glasses and began making his way to the ladder, since that was closer to him. Getting out, water pouring off of him, I had to bite my tongue. He looked gorgeous, and I added pool sex to my bucket list. Thinking of him holding me as we bobbed in the water, sliding over him, his hands in my hair…. I just needed to get over this one hurdle, and then I was going to throw myself at him at every opportunity I could. Drying myself quickly with my towel, I continued making eye contact with him, and in the process, trying to convince myself that I could actually go through with this plan.

Taking my glasses from him, I handed him his towel, watching as he briskly dried off. Quick and methodical, no fuss. Without saying a word, I turned and led the way out of the pool area and down the sidewalk a short ways to my apartment. I knew he was following me, I could hear his steps. Using the hidden key from the garden gnome, I unlocked the door and made my way inside, my body chilling instantly under the air conditioning. Taking a deep breath, I turned to him, watching as he closed the door. 

“Riley, what is going on? You are acting really weird.” Baron slung his wet towel over the back of a bar stool, but he kept his eyes on me. He seemed wary, and I guess I didn’t blame him. I was acting weird, all of this felt weird, but I was determined. I could do it, and I was ready.

Placing my hands on his bare chest, I leaned into him. “I’m weird? You collect skulls and antique medical equipment, you oddball.” I tried to keep my tone light, if I could manage that, and not focus too much on my next step, I was sure I could finally have Baron in my arms, and inside of me.

Immediately, Baron wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my forehead. “Something is up with you. What is it?”

I needed to get this show on the road. Pushing off of him gently, I turned to head into my bedroom. “I’m going to get changed.” I reached my door, and looked at Baron over my shoulder. It was now or never. “Are you coming?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Marvin Gaye voice* Makin' Love....
> 
> ... with cumplay if you squint and don't skim read

I wasn’t sure it had worked until I was standing in my bathroom, the door open, peeling my bathing suit off as alluringly as possible. I caught sight of Baron standing in my room, next to my bed, his eyes glued on my chest, then my stomach, and finally, the area between my legs as I dropped the article of clothing. Trembling, I stepped towards him, waiting for him to make a move.

He was silent, his hands clenched, as he searched my face for some kind of clue. “Riley?”

I loosened the breath I had been holding. “I want to try again, Baron.”

Confusion was rapidly disintegrating into passion in his eyes, but he was still cautious. Every other time we had tried to have sex, I ended up hyperventilating or in tears. We’d never even made it past making out, his hand in my panties, trying to get me ready. It was never his fault, it was my own fears. I’d only had one other partner, a boyfriend in high school that told me he loved me, wanted to be with me forever. Cliché words, but to a teen girl, they were magic. Suffice it to say, he got what he wanted, and broke up with me, then told the whole school I was trash in bed. 

“Are you sure?”

His voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I nodded.

Sighing, he ran a hand over his lower face, then scratched his beard. The beard I very much wanted to ride one day. I had seen and heard of so many different positions and styles of sex, and Baron was the one I wanted to experience all of that with. Reaching his hand out to me, I took it, and he pulled me close. “We are going to do this very slow, baby. If at any time, you want to stop, or you want a break, just tell me. I won’t be mad, I won’t be disappointed. Got it?”

I nodded, kissing his chest. My part in this was over. I had semi-seduced him. It was time for me to trust Baron and trust that he wouldn’t hurt me or rush me. 

“Lay down in the bed, you need to warm up,” he said, kissing my forehead.

That was true. I was freezing, so I turned from him, climbing between my blue sheets. The smell of my laundry detergent wafted up and seemed to wrap around me, instantly making me melt into my bed, adding a fraction of warmth and comfort. Baron circled to the other side of the bed, pushing his shorts off and climbing in next to me. I had never seen him naked before, and that quick flash was not enough. Not in the least. I wanted to explore him, from his forehead to his ankles. Sighing, I tried to reassure myself that soon, I could do that at my whim.

Baron gathered me in his arms, pulling me close, but making no other move. Confused, I laid my head against his shoulder, my arm around his waist. We were both naked, a point we’d never gotten to before. I wasn’t sure what to do with my body. Do I touch him? Drape my leg over his? He’d feel my pussy against his leg. What if I got his leg wet? Isn’t that what happens? Ugh, so embarrassing! And my boobs, they would touch him too, and my nipples would get hard. 

“You are shaking,” Baron muttered into my hair.

Suddenly, the quietness of my apartment settled over me, only the hum of the air conditioner to be heard. The sun shined through my blinds, casting rows of light on my far wall. There was nothing urgent about this. Baron said we could go slow. I could take my time, get used to each step at my own pace. “I’m a little nervous,” I said.

“Hmm,” he mumbled. “I’m thinking a nap is due, don’t you?”

A nap? A nap! I was laying there naked with him for the first time, and he wanted to sleep? “I had other things on my mind.”

He chuckled, the sound reverberating down my body, pooling at my core. “Oh, I know you did, Baby Girl. And we’ll get there. Come here.” He gathered me closer to him, pressing my body full length to his.

Gasping at his heat, I looked up at him, his deep brown eyes focused on my face. My breasts were smashed against his chest, but the feeling was not unwelcome, just unusual. My hand found its way to his bicep, and I slowly began rubbing the area, marveling, not for the first time, at how strong he was.

“Wrap your legs in mine,” he whispered, reaching down to grasp my thigh in his hand. He hauled it over his, running his hand up and down my leg, making me extra thankful I shaved that morning. But the position now opened me up, and I kept my eyes locked on his as he shifted his hips a little downward, as if he was maneuvering to sleep on his back, positioning my pussy right on his hip bone.   
I couldn’t stop the moan that that spilled from my throat, and I felt my face turn red. With every breath I took, my clit lightly rubbed against his skin. Already feeling overwhelmed, I buried my face between his shoulder and my pillow. Baron’s hand began rubbing circles on my back, and his lips traced patterns on my temple.

“You are beautiful, Riley. So amazing, and kind, and generous.”

I shoved my face deeper into the crook of his neck, my face aflame. One of Baron’s hands made its way to cup my ass, pressing me into him, causing me to moan. I was no longer shaking from nerves, but from being turned on. The next few minutes that passed were quiet, our breathing going in tandem. Baron continued to trace patterns on my skin, and my eyes began to droop from being relaxed. I was no longer worried about where our bodies touched. I basked in the stillness of the moment, of how wonderful it felt to be held by a man who wasn’t in it for himself. 

I wasn’t sure how long we laid there, wrapped up in each other. I dozed a few times, but always roused myself to press kisses to Baron’s chest or beard. Slowly, the light coming through my blinds changed, growing duller as the hours passed. Rubbing my lips across Baron’s shoulder, I felt him sigh, and I smiled against his skin. “This feels good,” I whispered.

Squeezing me slightly, he hummed in his throat. “Yes it does.” Kissing my temple, he then ran his lips down my cheek to my jawline, nibbling the skin there. Of its own volition, my head fell back and my eyes closed, loving the feeling of Baron’s lips against my throat as he made his way across it, and then up to my mouth.

Our kiss was slow and unhurried, relaxed and free. I felt warm and loved, completely comfortable with wherever this kiss took me. Baron’s tongue swept past my lips, licking and sucking on my tongue, causing me to squirm against him. Taking a chance, I nipped his lower lip, loving the groan he emitted, and the return nibble to my lip. Our hands were not idle. Baron’s warm hands roamed my body, rubbing and massaging my muscles in an effort to keep me relaxed. My own made numerous journeys across his wide chest, down his arms, and back up to circle his neck.

Breaking our kiss, Baron pushed against me slightly so that I laid completely on the bed, and no longer on my side. Pushing the sheets and covers down, his lips trailed from my collarbone to my nipples, only lightly dancing over the flesh before continuing down my stomach, and then settling between my thighs. The shakes were back. This was foreign territory. No one has ever gone down on me before, and while I knew what it entailed, the reality was completely different.

“Baron…” I began to protest, the urge to close my legs hindered by the size of my boyfriend between them. 

“Shh, Riley. Relax.” Baron looked up at me, a comforting smile on his face. His hands ran over my thighs, soothing me. Trying to listen to him, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep my nerves from ruining this moment before it even got started.

The first lick didn’t even feel real. Suddenly, I was just wet, and then as the air hit it, it was cool, and I shivered. The second lick, Baron added more pressure, and went slower, gauging my reaction. I pressed my lips together, not ready to give in to the sound that wanted to bubble out of me. The third lick got my attention. Baron’s tongue dipped low and in a concentrated motion, he swept it from bottom to top, swirling his tongue around my clit.

“Baron!” I shrieked, my hands flailing to find his on my thighs. 

He latched on, using our hands to drag me closer to his mouth, his tongue dancing through my folds. The slurping sounds coming out of him would have normally thrown me off or disgusted me, but coupled with his moans of enjoyment, I couldn’t help but let go of my reservations and my hang ups. “Baby you taste so good,” he groaned before sucking my clit into his mouth.

My eyes flew open and watching him between my legs had a rush of warmth headed straight to that spot, where Baron seemed to happily lick it all up. “Oh my God, oh my God,” I moaned. My hips began to move of their own volition. At first it was just small jerks, chasing Baron’s tongue as he moved to a different spot, but when he latched back onto my clit, I let out a guttural scream, grabbing his hair in my hand. My butt lifted off the mattress and my core slid over his face. My actions were those of a woman possessed. I felt completely out of control and wild, totally uninhibited. 

Baron growled, grasping my ass in his hands, basically holding me up as I rode his face. His grip was tight, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if I’d bruise. Not that I cared in that moment. When I had imagined riding Baron’s face earlier, this wasn’t the picture in my head, but I didn’t care. It felt so good, my body slowly winding up, my stomach tightening into a large knot, and I felt close to my release.

“Baron,” I grunted, swirling my hips a bit to change the pressure. “I’m so close.”

“Mmm,” he moaned, removing his hands from my ass, settling me against the sheets once again. His large arm came around and draped across my stomach, low, pining my pelvis down. His other hand reached under his mouth and he pressed a single finger into my pussy, then upon realizing I wasn’t going to break, and I was more than slick enough, he added another.

“Shit!” I shrieked. My hands let go of Baron’s hair and gripped the sheets, my teeth grinding down as I came unglued around his fingers. It was too fast, I wanted more, I wanted to do it again, exactly like how it had happened.

Suddenly, Baron was over me, the warmth of his body covering mine. “You want more?” he asked.

I must have said it out loud, and my face flamed. “Yes,” I whispered.

Catching my lips with his, I could taste myself on him, and I wasn’t repulsed. “Then more you get Baby. Ready for me?” he asked, as he positioned himself at my center. He was on his elbows above me, his hands in my hair, raining kisses all over my face. His body felt like a shelter, and I wrapped my arms around his back to hang on.

“Yes, Baron, I’m ready. Please!” My hips lifted, trying to urge him inside of me.

He didn’t hesitate. Making sure he was lined up properly, he leaned back to watch my expression as he pushed into me, slowly, but steadily. “Keep your eyes on me, Riles. I want to see everything.”

Gasps were rushing out of my body, the stretching catching me off guard. I didn’t remember my ex-boyfriend ever making me feel like this, touching every part of me. My nails dug into Baron’s back as he pulled back a little, only to push back in. I tried to keep my eyes locked on his, choosing to focus solely on the man above me and not what was happening between my legs. Soon, he stopped moving, fully seated inside of me, brushing hair out of my face with his hand. 

“Are you ok?” he whispered, his lips brushing across my temple.

I let out a long breath, quickly closing my eyes before reopening them. “Yes. It’s different.”

“Different?” he questioned, his brow furrowed. I felt his hips shift, and I couldn’t hold back a moan.

Blushing, I kissed his chin, loving the feel of his beard against my skin. “Not to toot your horn, but my ex was apparently very small, because I didn’t feel a thing with him.”

Baron’s head leaned back, a loud laugh rumbling out of him, causing vibrations through both our bodies, and for me, ending at my clit. Still chuckling, he smiled down at me. “Well I guess I can be thankful for that at least.”

Feigning being insulted, I glared at him. “At least?”

“Quit bantering with me, woman, I’m trying to fuck you properly!”

Before I could retort, Baron pulled almost all the way out, then slammed back into me. “Oh!”

I was breathless, every jerk of Baron’s hips against the back of my thighs left me feeling dizzy and flushed. His hot pants of air were tickling my neck, his head buried there as he focused on driving his dick into me at a pace I didn’t even know was possible. “So good, so good!” he muttered.

My hands ran down his back and gripped his ass, urging him to go harder. I didn’t even care that it was completely out of character for me, I was so turned on and wet, loving hearing the sounds coming from my boyfriend’s throat, I would have dived with Great White sharks if it meant having this every day.

And then I realized…I could.

“Mine,” I growled.

I felt a shudder run through Baron, and he leaned back to peer at me, his eyes glazed over, but acknowledging what I said. “Yours, Baby. All yours.”

Suddenly he pulled out of me, causing a whine to come from my mouth. He chuckled, grabbing my hips and turning me onto my side before laying down behind me, his cock finding my heat once again. One arm wrapped around my waist, the other curled around my neck and across my chest, his large hand grabbing my breast and pinching the nipple.

Heat flooded my pussy, and we groaned together, his hips resuming their brutal pace. Baron’s mouth was behind my ear, and his deep voice was sending shudders through my body. “You are mine, Baby Girl. All mine. We belong to each other, and no one can fuck that up. Understand?”

I nodded, my hands reaching up to grasp his arm, riding the high that was coursing through my body. My thighs were starting to tighten, and I threw one leg back over Baron’s to open myself up more, surprising myself. “Touch me, Baron,” I pleaded.

“Touch you?” he asked, one hand trailing down my stomach. “Touch you where?” 

Oh, he knew where. He just wanted me to say it.

Turning my head to look him in the eyes, I replied, “My pussy. Touch my pussy.”

“Fuck,” he groaned, giving me a quick deep kiss.

I felt his dick swell inside of me, and I gasped. Sweat broke out on my body, and I gripped his arm just a little bit tighter. I knew what would happen when he touched me, and I yearned for it. I yearned for that moment of pure bliss and euphoria that Baron could give me.

Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, and didn’t care I was a vibrating ball of near orgasm next to him, he dragged his fingers through my lower curls, tugging slightly there. “Hmmm, I like these. Keep them.”

I could only mewl, begging with my squirming body. Two fingers forked past my clit, not touching it, down to my folds, before rubbing through them next to his thrusting dick. “Baron!”

He didn’t speak, his lips pressed against my neck as he pulled me tighter to him with the arm across my chest, his forefinger slowly dragging back up and lightly brushing my clit. It was that easy, that simple. That one little touch set my world on fire, my eyes squeezed shut as stars danced behind them. My thighs began to shake and I couldn’t help but close them, vaguely feeling wetness coating them as I clutched the sheets in front of me. “Oh!” I squeaked, the only sound to escape my mouth as my lower body shook uncontrollably. 

“Shit!” Baron growled, pulling out of me, jacking himself off onto the backs my thighs. I didn’t even care. Somehow even that was sexy, the feeling of his cum on my heated flesh. “I need to taste you.”

Stunned, my eyes opened wide as Baron aggressively pushed me onto my back and all but dove for my pussy, his mouth latching on and sucking for all he was worth. My pussy clenched, aftershocks still rolling through my body. The sensitive area felt like lightening was shooting through it as Baron pushed my thighs back, his hands smearing the cum. He had no qualms about it, he was laser focused, his tongue sending my whole body through another orgasm, and I nearly folded in half as I flooded his mouth.

“Holy fuck Baron!” I screamed, shaking, hands down on the mattress, giving me leverage to ride his face as the last of the shockwaves passed through me. “Fuck!”

“Mmmm,” he moaned, seemingly French kissing my pussy. “God Baby you are so hot when you squirt.”

Squirt? Shit, that’s what I did? I felt a blush crawl up my face as I plopped, exhausted, back onto my pillow. Giving my clit a final lick, Baron crawled up my body, kissing me deeply before lying next to me, pulling me into his arms. We were both panting now, gripping onto each other for dear life. 

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had squirted. I was mildly embarrassed, but too high off my orgasms to really give it much assessment. Cum covered Baron’s hands and now my back as he held me, and I just didn’t care. Little content noises rumbled in my throat and I buried my face against Baron’s chest tattoos.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

Great. Fantastic. Over the Goddamn moon. “Pretty good,” I mumbled, trying my best to keep my elation contained. I recognized I was treading on dangerous ground, and probably overdosing from endorphins. I couldn’t trust my emotions at the point, but dammit, my heart swelled and I felt totally head over heels in love with Baron. Feeling the need to check in, I peered up at him. “How are you doing?”

Looking down at me, his smile made my heart skip a beat, and I winced internally. I was going to have to get myself together real soon. One orgasm, or three, does not mean true love. This was not 50 Shades of Gray. “I feel amazing,” he said, kissing me. “But fucking hungry too.”

I laughed, sitting up in my destroyed bed. “I need a shower.” Baron echoed my movements, his eyes roving over my naked body. Heat blossomed on my cheeks and I swatted his arm. “Oh my God, stop. If you keep looking at me like that I’ll spontaneously combust!”

“Oh Baby Girl, I love making you combust.”

“Go!” I pointed to my bedroom door. “Order Chinese food!”

“Yes Ma’am,” he chuckled, swooping down to kiss my lips once more. When he hopped out of bed, I got my first full view of him completely naked, and my pussy woke back up. He was amazing, all muscle and tattoos. I almost contemplated calling him back to bed, until I caught a glimpse of his ass leaving my room.


	8. Chapter 8

We spent the next few hours wrapped up in my dirty sheets, still covered in cum and sweat, eating take out. Baron had washed his hands and reluctantly put on a pair of shorts when the delivery guy showed up, but immediately stripped out of them upon making his way back to my side.

I had come down from my post-orgasmic high. A little. I was still swooning over Baron’s broad chest and sexy lips, and I took every opportunity to touch his hand or his arm that I could. I was sure he noticed, but he didn’t comment on it, just gave me indulgent looks in return. The “L” word rolled around my head, but I aggressively dismissed it every time it came to the forefront. Sex was sex, and yes, sex with Baron was apparently going to be amazing, but that wasn’t love. Sex was a tool, it was a way to express feelings and emotions that otherwise would be marred by words. And it was fun, a chance to explore and discover. It was not love.

Fuck. It was love.

“Riles, hand me that cookie.”

My eyes refocused on Baron’s hand that was suddenly in front of my face, outstretched. My brain tried to crawl out of the gutter. I had heard Trinity backstage too many times referring to her girly parts as cookie, that it took me a long moment to realized Baron meant the fortune cookie that was next to my box of rice. Handing it to him, I watched as he unwrapped it, crushed the cookie in his hand, and pull the small piece of paper out.

“Happiness is in front of your eyes,” he read. I expected him to snort or make a snarky comment, but he just looked up and locked eyes with me, smiling. “I got a good one. What did you get?”

Honest to God, Baron smiling was going to be the death of me. Clearing my throat, I too opened my fortune cookie. The words seemed to blend together, but I managed to read it out loud. “Trust yourself.” Looking up at Baron, I waved the piece of paper in the air. “Who comes up with these things?”

“Wise people, Baby.” He finished off his Moo Goo, and turned to put the box on the nightstand. “Are you almost done?”

I nodded, handing him my rice and gathering the pieces of paper, napkins, and plastic wear off my sheets. “I need a shower and to wash these.” I plucked at the fabric, a disgusted expression furrowing my brows. “We made a mess.”

Baron laughed, leaning over to pull me into his arms and lay back onto the pillows. “Am I selfish if I don’t quite want to leave this bed yet? Today has been fucking perfect.”

Blushing, I curled up next to him, throwing my arms around him. “But I smell bad,” I whined.

Shoving his face in my hair, he took a deep breath and said, “You smell like me and sweat. I think it’s the sexiest perfume I’ve ever smelled.”

Jesus fuck. How was I supposed to protect my heart when he said stuff like that? Staying silent, I just hummed and let him hold me. My mind was racing, and my first instinct was to create space between us as soon as possible. I needed to think. I needed time to puzzle out these emotions that wouldn’t fade, to reconcile sex with my expectations, and to build more walls. Because Baron was smashing through every wall I had ever built, and I wasn’t quite prepared for that.

******************************

The space came the next morning when Baron went on a bike ride to meet up with Corey. Graves was getting more ink done and Baron was invited along for the bonding experience I suppose. After my hair appointment, that wasn’t as relaxing as I had hoped, I moved around my apartment, picking up Baron’s clothes from the floor and made my bed after changing the sheets. I tried to be honest with myself. I was afraid. I was scared that sex would ruin what Baron and I had. And since I was really hitting myself hard with that dose of truth, it was my fault. The whole situation was my fault. I thought that I wasn’t ready for sex, but it might have been more along the lines of not wanting to admit that my prior relationship stage with Baron was safe because it was more friendly than romantic. Yes, he was my boyfriend, but friends don’t have sex, well, not my friends anyway. So if he broke up with me, it was like losing a buddy, not someone more important than that. It would have sucked, but it wouldn’t have broken me. I wasn’t ready to feel this way with Baron, or with anyone. A door had been opened and all of this pent up love and compassion came pouring out, leaving me vulnerable.

I was so conflicted. Now that I recognized what was going on inside of me, and why I felt so shaky, what was I going to do about it? It’s not like I had a 2x4 that could shore this hole up. I was going to fall deeper and deeper into that pit everytime Baron touched me. And God, did I want Baron to touch me. I didn’t want to stop being with him, he was worth it, every ounce of this confusion and uncertainty was worth having Baron in my life. But I knew I couldn’t keep this from pouring out at inopportune moments. My only option was to tell him that I was madly in love with him, and hope he didn’t run screaming the other way.

That didn’t make it any easier. I had commitment issues, I could acknowledge that. Sure, I was a cliché, being from a broken home with cheating parents, but it didn’t make it any less true. I walled myself off to protect myself, but I was fiercely loyal when I got close to a person. It just took some time.

My phone ringing brought me out of my revere. I looked down to find I had been washing a glass mindlessly, and sighing, I put it down and wiped my hands. Grabbing my phone, I put it on speaker so I could keep moving around the kitchen.

“Hello?”

“Love!”

I smiled at Becky’s voice. I wasn’t sure where she got her boundless positivity from, but I marveled at it just the same. “Hey what’s going on?”

“Charlotte and I are meeting Trin and Jon today at Busch Gardens, and we thought later tonight we could all meet up for some drinks. You in?”

My eyes darted around the room like someone was there to save me. Social situations? Crowded bars? Yikes. “Uh, well, Baron isn’t here. I’ll have to check with him.”

She snorted, the sound echoing off my cabinets. “Are you saying you need to ask him for permission? Because if you are….” She trailed off.

My stomached knotted, and I leaned against the counter to hang my head. “It’s not that. He’s with Corey, so I don’t know if they have plans or not.”

“And? Is Corey too good to hang out with us now?”

A wry grin made its way onto my face. “Becky, are you using peer pressure on me right now?”

She laughed. “Yes. Is it working?”

Who could ever say no to The Lass Kicker anyway? “Absolutely. Ok, I’ll call Baron and tell him. You text me when and where, alright?” Excited shrieking pierced my ears and I rolled my eyes. No one was ever that enthusiastic to be around me. She must really miss Baron after not seeing him for two days. 

“Can’t wait, Girlie! Ciao!”

Hanging up, I immediately called Baron. He picked up on the first ring. I just expected him to send it to voicemail like usual. “Hey Baby Girl.”

I couldn’t stop the blush, and I shook my head to clear it. Baron’s voice made my hoohah wake up, even though she was very wore out from all the attention she received yesterday and early this morning. “Hey Handsome. I just got a call from Becky. A bunch of them want to meet for drinks tonight. You ok with that?”

I heard him mumble to someone and then a door squeak open. The rush of cars could be heard and I realized he must have stepped outside. “I’m up for it, but are you? I know bars aren’t your thing.”

I traced a pattern on the counter, shrugging my shoulders even though I was alone. “Social stuff isn’t my thing. But if you are there I’ll be ok. She said if you couldn’t peal yourself away from Corey, he could come too.”

Baron chuckled, and my grip on the wood laminate got a little bit stronger. God, what was I going to do about the effect he had on me? “Well, no matter what Corey decides, I’ll be there. Did she say where?”

“Uh, no.” I checked the time on the grandfather clock my mom bought me for Christmas a few years ago. I don’t know why the time mattered. It was a reactive thing, like checking your watch in awkward situations. “But she said she’d send me a text. It’s 11:45 and they are at Busch Gardens. Corey can have you for a few more hours.”

Another squeak of the door came through the speaker, and the butt of the joke spoke up. “Dude, are you still cheating on me with Riley? I thought you said you were going to leave her for me!”

Baron laughed at Corey. “Man shut up! I’m not leaving the perfect woman for your lame ass!”

The perfect woman?! Oh God, I just fell another foot deeper in that hole. Corey mumbled something I didn’t quite get, but had Baron chuckling. “Ok, Baby. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Bye.” Hanging up, the quietness of the apartment closed in on me. Closing my eyes, I just prayed that whatever happened tonight, I could keep my heart eyes in check, because I knew someone would pick up on it and blurt out the truth before I could tell Baron myself.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a dive bar. Becky had sent us to an honest to God dive bar. I guess I should have been thankful. I wasn’t dressed for a classy establishment. Skinny jeans, Converse, and a tank top with a flannel slung around my waist. Dressing up wasn’t part of my repertoire. But the status of this bar was below even my standards. It was at the end of a strip mall, with the patio and wrap around porch being screened in to battle the Florida mosquitos that could carry their patrons off. There was a faint island vibe, with horrible thatching in place of an awning, paper lanterns that swayed in the breeze, and plenty of white Christmas lights strung on almost every available surface.

I had no idea what the inside looked like, as I spotted Becky’s orange hair, ever my beacon, past the bar at the far end of the crowded patio. She, Charlotte, and Trinity were sitting at a high top table, laughing and taking shots. Baron trailing behind me, I lead the way over, immediately swept up into hugs by the three ladies. They seemed genuinely happy to see us, which I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to, but I returned their greetings and smiled politely. 

“Where’s Jon?” Baron asked, high fiving Becky over my head. 

Trinity pointed to the bar. “Ordering more shots. We saw you walking up and he went to grab another round. Corey coming?”

Baron nodded, sitting me on an available barstool and standing behind me. His large arms wrapped around my waist and his chin rested on my shoulder. “Yeah he’s on his way. You know Graves, he takes hours to get ready.”

Baron’s closeness overwhelmed me. We weren’t PDA people. We held hands, sure, but this was new. This felt like a claiming. Looking around the table, seeing three pairs of eyes on us, it seemed I wasn’t the only one to notice the behavior. Charlotte spoke first. “Well when he gets here, Becky wants to discuss custody.”

Becky’s lower lip poked out and her hands went to her hips. “I come to town and I almost didn’t get to see you!”

She was looking at Baron over my shoulder and I felt his chest rumble against my back when he spoke. “Becks, I swear to God, I see you five days a week!”

Still she pouted. “I missed you.”

“Aw,” Charlotte crooned, her hand reaching out to rub up and down Becky’s bare arm. “He doesn’t appreciate you, does he, Sweetie?”

“Oh my God,” Baron grumbled, causing Trinity to laugh. “This is such Bullshit.”

Looking to my left, I saw Jon with six shot glasses in his large hands, making his way to us through the crowd. I couldn’t fathom how he didn’t drop them, but he arrived with most of them filled to the top. Putting them on the table, he began doling them out, greeting us at the same time. “Hey, Shortie!” He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You lookin’ cute!”

Rolling my eyes, I accepted the glass he handed me. “What this old thing? I just threw it on.”

Everyone laughed, and my anxiety seemed to calm down a bit. These people were my friends. I could relax, even though we were in a public place with strangers and questionable decisions. It would be fine. And maybe fun. 

We all toasted each other, and took our shots. Mixed reactions ranging from “Shit!” to “Oh my God so good!” was heard around the table. The vodka ran straight fire through my veins and I shivered. “Uh, no more vodka for me. I need something that I’ll remember I drank tomorrow.”

Baron laughed, squeezing my hips in his hands in a silent affectionate gesture. “I’ll get you something, Baby. Your usual?”

I nodded and he winked at me, leaving the table to move towards the bar. I watched him go, my eyes trailing from his black beanie to his blue jeans. He had on a Liar’s Club shirt tonight, this one with sleeves, instead of the one with cutouts that I usually stole from him to sleep in. He moved smoothly through the crowd of people, his size making people take a step or two out of his way. I wasn’t sure he even noticed anymore, or if it was just second nature to him at this point.

“Something you want to share with the rest of us, Riley?”

Jon’s voice broke my attention away from Baron. Turning my head to look at my friends, I internally cursed myself. My heart eyes were out there for everyone to see. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Trying to play it off, I grabbed the menu that was lying in the middle of the table. “This place have food? I’m starving.”

“Mmhmm.” I hadn’t convinced anyone, but they didn’t push me. Grabbing a waitress, we ordered some appetizers just as Baron returned with our beers. Each couple paired off, but the conversation flowed between all of us. My eyes kept going back to Becky and Charlotte, watching for outward signs of the relationship I now knew existed. It was there, in the little things. Becky casually leaned against Charlotte, and Charlotte would occasionally rub Becky’s arm or back, but it was their eyes that told the story. It was if they couldn’t stand not to look at each other for longer than 30 seconds. Charlotte was verbally supportive of anything Becky said, and Becky would always look to Charlotte for affirmation. It seemed reassuring, and while I thought I understood why they were so careful of their secret, I really didn’t. I wasn’t in that relationship. I didn’t know what they had to go through or what their fears were. I wished there was a way I could tell them I supported them, but the best I could do was not draw attention to them. Act casual, ignore the little things I knew were big things.

A small band played festive island music in the corner, and already intoxicated people were swaying to the beat. Watching them, I saw Corey walk towards the patio from the parking lot, with a person I didn’t want to see next to him.

Grabbing Baron’s hand, I said, “Tanya’s here.”

Baron’s head swiveled to find Corey and Tanya walking towards our table. “What the fuck?” he breathed. Yes, I seconded that. 

Everything was going perfect tonight. I was relaxed, happy, laughing, having a good time, and I knew Tanya was about to bust that all apart. Stopping next to Baron, greeting everyone with a small wave, Corey looked at me. “I’m sorry. I tried to get rid of her, but I couldn’t shake her.”

Our whole group quieted as Tanya stepped up next to Jon. Her hand found his shoulder and a large grin spread across her face. “Hi everyone! Corey invited me. I hope that’s ok.”

I thought Trinity was going to break a glass over Tanya’s head. She reached over and pushed Tanya’s hand off Jon’s shoulder, her sneer not welcoming one bit. “It’s not, but not much we can do about that now, is there?”

Corey glared at Tanya. “I did not invite you. You followed me from the tattoo parlor.”

It was then I noticed Corey was in jeans and a black t-shirt with motorcycle boots. It was always hard to reconcile his professional suit with the tattoos, but after getting used to that, seeing him in something other than a three-piece was jarring. Cellophane peeked out from under his sleeve, and I wondered how he could possibly add any more ink to the already covered area.

Tanya ignored Corey and leaned closer to the table. She was wearing a pink t-shirt, but it had been cut in half, leaving her mid-riff bare, showing the lower half of her torso covered in tattoos. I was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing a bra, and I hated that I even noticed the fact that her nipples surely had been pierced. She was a pretty woman, stunning in the unobtainable way. But her attitude was nasty, and that soiled the outside.

Charlotte was the first to speak up. “We need shots. This round is on Tanya.”

Everyone agreed and Tanya shrugged, making her way past Baron, her hand trailing across his broad shoulders. “Sure. Baron? Wanna come with me to choose what to get?”

He snorted, leaning away from her and into my side. “Uh, no. I’m sure you can figure it out on your own.”

She pouted but left, her lower lip sticking out. 

He turned to look at me, his expression incredulous. “I swear to God, are we ever going to get a break from her?”

It was a rhetorical question, but I smiled at him, throwing my arms around his neck. “Probably not. But that’s ok. We can annoy her with PDA all night.”

Laughing, Baron wrapped me up in his arms, pulling me close to him. “Great idea. Where do we start?”

Jon was whispering something to Trin, and she nodded, but her expression was dark. If Tanya stepped out of line, God help her, because Trin wasn’t playing tonight. In an effort to ease her mind, Jon asked Trinity to dance, and the two of them moved off to the dance floor. Becky’s eyes followed them, a sort of yearning there I didn’t immediately understand until Charlotte gripped her hand for just a moment. I knew then. Becky wanted to dance with her girlfriend.

Still holding Baron, I leaned into him, absorbing his warmth even though it was sweltering inside the patio. Large fans bolted to the rafters tried to do their jobs, but there was no beating the Florida humidity. Baron’s hands slid lower from my waist onto my ass, giving it a light squeeze. Looking at him, I saw his sly smile, and realized Tanya must have been heading back. 

A tray with drinks banged onto the table, sloshing alcohol all over. “Hey!” Becky yelled, jumping slightly. “What’s the big idea?”

Tanya gave me a glare, and then turned on the charm for everyone else. “Sorry. It slipped. Super heavy.”

Our food arrived then, and the eight of us dove in, Jon and Trinity rejoining the group. Becky and Corey argued over Baron, Charlotte and I chatted about an author we both liked, and Baron, Trinity, and Jon laughed about Jon and Baron’s old football days. Alcohol flowed, each of us getting closer and closer to that buzz we were reaching for. Tanya was a knat floating unwanted between the conversations, never staying long, just buzzing around long enough to be annoying.

But we were having a good time, right up until that knat saw something she shouldn’t have seen.

Charlotte and Becky were getting more and more comfortable as they drank, and their flirting was dialing higher and higher until Becky couldn’t stand it anymore. Right in the middle of Charlotte saying something to me, Becky turned towards her and climbed up into her lap. “I’m tired of standing, Love.”

Her voice slurred, her legs and arms wrapped around Charlotte like a monkey. Charlotte’s eyes widened, but she couldn’t stop her arms from holding Becky close. “I’ll give you my chair, Becks.”

Becky laughed drunkenly. “Your lap is where I want to be.”

Jon’s eyes scanned the crowd. Mimicking his motion, I realized he must have been looking for cameras. Baron stepped around me and Tanya, who somehow ended up between Becky and myself, and dragged Becky off Charlotte. “What are you doing?” he said, trying to keep his voice low. “Now is not the time for this.”

Tanya, apparently very slow, caught on. “Oh my God. Are you lesbians?!” Her voice was shrill, and carried above the music and the noise. Thankfully, no one seemed to glance our way or take any notice at all. “How long have you been together?”

Across the table, Trinity went to take a dive at Tanya, her teeth clenched together and her fists balled up. Jon caught her around her middle, hauling her back up against him. “Trin! Stop! Doing that is gonna catch attention!”

“Bitch needs to catch my hands!” Trinity growled, struggling against Jon’s arms. “Outtin’ my friends like that!”

Charlotte stood, taking Becky from Baron. Becky giggled, throwing her arms around Char’s neck. “We should leave.”

Baron’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure?” At Charlotte’s nod, Baron sighed. “Do you need a cab?”

Nodding, Charlotte began dragging Becky to the parking lot. “Can you call an Uber please?” Trinity whipped out her cell phone and did as Charlotte requested.

The whole debacle only lasted five minutes, but the jovial mood plummeted. As the couple left, Corey and Baron, as one unit, rounded on Tanya. Corey was the first to speak, and I was sure it was only because Baron was trying his hardest to get a grip. He was panting hard and his eyes were burning a hole in Tanya’s forehead. 

“Let me make one thing very clear, you are to never speak of this again, do you understand?” Corey crowded her, his face close to hers, but she didn’t budge. I wasn’t sure if she was brave or stupid.

She was defiant. “What’s the big deal? So they prefer carpet to wood, why hide it?”

Baron couldn’t contain himself anymore, and as he stepped towards her, I stepped up too. I had a sneaking suspicion he was close to punching her. “One word from you about Becky and/or Charlotte, in any context, and I will make your life a living hell, Tanya. Those girls do not need drama, and they have done nothing to cause it. Be very careful about your next move.”

Reaching down, Baron caught my hand in his, turning to look at our friends. “Sorry, guys, we need to go.”

Jon nodded, using his arms to guide Trinity around the table. “Yeah, us too. Come on, we’ll follow you out.”

The five of us, including Corey, who had ended his stare down with the Wicked Witch of the South, made our way to the parking lot, each of us aggravated and pissy. Trinity ran a hand down her face. “There went my buzz.”

We all chuckled, but there was no joy behind it. We were worried about our friends, and if Tanya would do anything about what she saw. I didn’t want to think the worst of her, but she seemed shady. I just didn’t have a good feeling about any of this.

Saying goodnight to everyone, Baron opened the passenger side door of his 1964 Lincoln Continental. Sliding in, I sighed as he closed the door and made his way around the hood to the driver’s side. Getting in, he made no move to start the car. I watched him, my heart breaking at the expression of worry on his face. Not knowing what to say, I slid across the bench seat and crawled into his lap, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close.

He didn’t hesitate. Holding me, he sighed, burying his nose in my neck. I wanted to tell him it was ok, that it would be fine, but that felt like a lie. Something was coming, and we knew it.


	10. Chapter 10

Baron was supposed to fly out the next morning for the weekend’s house shows, and he needed to go back to his apartment to pack. But I didn’t want him to go just yet. We sat on my couch after getting back from the bar, both quiet. We were on opposite ends, but my feet were in his lap and his hands were rubbing my calves.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked, propping my head on my hand using the back cushion.

Baron didn’t look at me, staring off into space. “A lot of things. Just a lot going on in here right now.” He tapped his temple.

“Want to talk about it?” I wanted to help, to ease his mind someway.

He shrugged, finally turning his head to look at me. “You know I’m not much of a talker, but for some reason, yeah, I do want to talk about it. But only with you.”

And I fell another foot into that hole. Shit. He was not making this easy.

Clearing my throat, I tilted my head. “Why with me?”

Pulling his beanie off his head and running his hands through his hair, he looked frustrated. “Because I trust you. And I know you only want the best for Becky, like I do.”

A faint smile crossed my lips. “I adore the way you care about her.”

He shrugged, embarrassed. “She’s my best friend.” Meeting my gaze, he said, “Thank you for understanding that.”

I knew what he meant. I wasn’t intimidated by their friendship, even before I knew about Charlotte. Baron and Becky seemed to adopt each other and truly became like family very quickly after Baron arrived on the main roster. Becky cheered him on, lifted him up, and was his confidante. How could I be upset that he had someone he could depend on? “She’s an amazing person, Baron. I’m glad you have her.”

He reached over and tugged on my elbow silently asking me to move closer to him. Shifting so that I was on my knees on the couch, I had a rare opportunity to slightly look down at him. “Will you room with me on the road?”

The question took me off guard. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t thought about it before. We were now sleeping together, in every sense of the word. Did I still need that space on the road? Did I want to be away from him at night? And weren’t we just talking about Becky? Why the sudden conversation change?

Tracing the shell of his ear with one finger, I chewed on my bottom lip. “I’m not sure…”

Silence reigned between us before he reached up and caught my hand in his. “It’s fine. Just let me know, ok?” He abruptly stood, almost displacing me. Catching my balance, I looked up to find him pulling his beanie back on and picking up his car keys.

“You’re leaving?”

Facing me, he nodded. “Gotta pack, remember?”

Disappointment reared its ugly head, and all I could do was give him a faint smile. “Right. Um, goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he muttered. He walked out the door, closing it behind him, leaving me alone on my couch, confused as to what exactly just happened.

 

************************

I spent my weekend doing laundry and working on graphics. I had accepted the Interim Raw Graphics Design Manager position, and I spent most of Saturday scouring the projects that would be a part of my daily To-Do list in just a few short weeks. Also on my list was a complete rehaul of the WWE website, which thankfully I played a small part in, I was only part of the review committee. I read email after email of my co-workers asking my opinions on their projects, advice on their day to day activities, and trouble-shooting with my management team. It seemed my career was on an upward track, and while that should have filled me with elation, I couldn’t get Baron’s weird mood swing out of my head.

He had left me without a kiss. It threw me off more than I wanted to admit. Was it because I didn’t immediately give him a straight answer when he asked me to room with him? Was he really upset about Tanya? Was he just tired? I had no idea, because he wasn’t answering my phone calls. While it wasn’t unusual, and normally I wouldn’t panic about it, something this time just felt off. We didn’t separate on good terms, even though the verbal conversation was positive, the body language said something completely different.

Sunday afternoon found me at Tampa International Airport, my laptop open, emails flying between me and the Raw Graphics Design Manager. Next week I was supposed to fly to Detroit to meet with her to shadow her and meet her team. It was vital that I get that time with her before she went on maternity leave, but meeting new people in strange places was not my forte. I was very nervous, and I masked that by sounding extra professional in my emails. I was betting she was expecting someone in a business suit. Wouldn’t she be surprised to find a hoodie wearing, gum chewing, pencil-stuck-in-my-ponytail chick?

But today I was flying to Seattle to meet the Smackdown team. A new talent was being called up from NXT and I was working with the production team on their entrance video. It was only to be tweaked a bit, but there were still logistics to deal with. With just two days before their main roster debut, everything was being checked and double checked.

Speaking of which, I looked down at my phone that was lying next to my leg on the chair I was sitting on outside of my gate. Still no word from Baron. Deciding to swallow my pride, I sent Becky a text.

_Hey Becky. About to board a flight to Seattle. See you in a couple of days. Tell Baron I miss him._

There. That sounded normal-ish. Hopefully it wouldn’t cause her to ask too many questions. While waiting for her response I shut my laptop down and packed it away. _Bzz Bzz._ I glanced down to find a response from Becky.

_He’s being a right twit, I can tell you that. Come save me_

I winced. Baron in a foul mood wasn’t pleasant for anyone. His in-ring persona was that, dialed back. I hated to imagine what he was doing to cause Becky to call him names. Biting my lip, I typed out a reply. The only way I was going to get him to calm down was through Becky, so this called for extreme measures.

_Tell him if he behaves I’ll make everything all better when I get there_

A cold sweat broke out over my entire body. Becky wasn’t stupid, she’d get the innuendo. My only hope now was that Baron would get over himself enough to reach out to me, to let me explain. And Becky wouldn’t make fun of me for trying to flirt via friend.

My hesitation that night was out of fear, and I was beginning to recognize it as such. Fear of change, fear of commitment, and fear of moving too fast. The constant fight between my head, my heart, and my gut was exhausting. I wanted to trust Baron with every fiber of my being, but I couldn’t shake the trepidation that he would leave me. It appeared that my first instinct was to push him away, to build those walls back up, and to put a large plywood sheet over that pit that I continually found myself falling into everytime Baron smiled at me or said sweet things. I was so starved for affection, but I still didn’t trust that it wouldn’t get yanked away from me.

I didn’t trust myself to be good enough to keep it.


	11. Chapter 11

Lying on the hotel bed in Seattle, I was absolutely wrecked. Exhaustion beat at my brow, but my brain wasn’t giving in. Upon arriving Monday morning at Seattle International on the red eye, I turned my phone on, hoping against hope to find a missed call or text from my boyfriend. There was none. After spending all of Monday in production meetings, I began to panic, and so I did the only thing I could think to do. I called my brother.

“It’s my favorite sister!” He crowed when he picked up.

“Hey, are you busy?” 

His concern was immediate. “Are you ok? You sound off.”

It was true, even I could hear the difference in my tone. Hugging a pillow to my chest, I repositioned myself against the headboard. “I’m not hurt or anything, just…” I sighed. “Do you think I’m permanently damaged from Mom and Dad’s divorce?”

I heard Colin’s deep intake of breath. It was a heavy question, and it wasn’t really fair of me to ask him that. But I needed someone to talk this out with me, someone who loved me and knew what I’d been through. “Riley, that divorce was enough to shake the both of us. It was nasty, with both parents cheating on each other, then dragging us through court, and even to this day, they use us against one another. I don’t know of anyone who could have gone through all that like we did and not come out with some type of wound.”

Feeling a stray tear escape the corner of my eye, I quickly wiped it away. “It’s affecting my relationship with Baron.”

“Did he do something?” His protective streak was a mile long.

Giving a dark chuckle, I put his fears to rest. “No, it was me. It is me, I mean. I don’t think he even knows what’s going on in my head.”

“Like what?”

I sighed. “I’m not good enough to keep him.” Protests immediately barraged me through the phone. “Colin, stop, stop!”

“Such bullshit, Riley!”

Groaning, I put a hand over my eyes. “Look, it’s me. It’s how I feel. I feel small and unlovable and worthless on my good days. On my bad days? I self-destruct. It’s just who I am. You know that.”

Colin grunted in distain. “I hate hearing you talk that way.”

Another tear made its way down my cheek, and this time I didn’t bother with it. “Why couldn’t Mom and Dad love each other?”

“I wish I had that answer. If we did, maybe we wouldn’t be so fucked up.”

That was probably true. While I was cautious and careful when it came to sex and relationships, Colin was the exact opposite. He was like a revolving door, a new chick to replace the last one faster than a person could blink. Like he had a damn waiting list or something. Take a number and wait, please.

“Do you think Baron will cheat on you, is that what you are worried about?” Colin asked.

Shifting the phone against my ear, I wanted to laugh. “Actually, no. Isn’t that weird? That’s not my worry.”

“Then what is it? When you say you aren’t good enough to keep him, what do you think he’s looking for that he hasn’t already found in you?”

My brain stumbled. I had never thought of it that way before. What was Baron looking for that I didn’t have? Apparently, nothing, if Baron was to be believed. And, well, I did believe him. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “Why would he want me, though? I’m broken.”

“We are all broken, Riles. I bet even Corbin has something in his past that hurts him. But he’s with you, and if you want to keep him, it’s time to start believing in yourself to be able to do that with what you have and who you are. He wouldn’t be with you if he didn’t already like you.”

Baron had said that on many occasions. Maybe Colin was right. Maybe it was time to accept the fact that I had whatever it was that Baron was interested in. That I wasn’t a meek loser with self-esteem issues. I was just a work in progress.

Softly I said, “I guess that’s true.”

Colin barked a laugh. “Damn right it is. I know what I’m talking about.”

I rolled my eyes. “Goodnight, Know-It-All.”

“Goodnight, Riley.”

Ending the call with him, I stared at my phone. I had no idea if Baron would answer if I called him, but I had to try again. Selecting his contact, I pressed “call” and waited while the phone rang and rang. And rang. And rang. Sighing, I listened to the automated voice tell me that Baron was unavailable. At the beep, I took a deep breath.

“Baron, it’s Riley. Listen, I don’t know if you are hearing any of my messages but this one is different. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the other night, when it got weird after you asked me to room with you. I’m sorry that I’ve been so closed off from you. That will need explaining, but I’ll get there. Um, I’m sorry-“ 

The phone beeped, signaling the end of the voicemail. Why was it so short? Oh hell no. I wasn’t done. More silent tears appeared on my face, and I felt myself get angry at them. Now was not the time! Quickly dialing Baron’s number again, I impatiently waited for his voicemail to pick back up. Beep.

“I got cut off. I’m sorry for not thinking enough of myself to trust you. It was never you, Baron, it was me and my worries and my hesitation. I want to room with you.” I began speaking faster, knowing the voicemail was going to cut me off again. “Please, for the love of God, please call me back. I haven’t heard from you in four days and I’m freaking out thinking that you are breaking up with me and you can’t do that because I love you and-“ Beep.

FUCK.

I just told Baron I loved him via fucking voicemail. Fuck. Typical Riley fashion. Screw it all up before it even starts.

I all but threw my phone on the nightstand. I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore. There was no way I was going to call him again, to try to explain away my last statement. Standing, I decided to get changed and get into bed, wincing at the headache forming in my skull. Quickly pulling on a large t-shirt, I opted just to leave my pajama bottoms off for the night. No one was here, I could sleep in my underwear if I wanted to. Plugging the offensive phone in to charge, I crawled under the covers, turned off the light and settled into the pillows, closing my eyes. 

After a few moments, my eyes flew back open.

I told Baron Corbin I loved him. And it wasn’t a lie.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT with more cumplay
> 
> and squirting. this chick squirts and I have no remorse

A pounding woke me from a deep sleep. The noise was so abrupt, and stopped just as suddenly, that I wasn’t sure it was real at first, until it restarted with a vengeance. Recognizing the sound as coming from the hotel door, I groaned, dragging my exhausted carcass across the blue and green carpet, only sparing a quick glance at the clock to find it was close to 4am. “I’m coming! Relax!” I yelled. As soon as I dealt with whoever was accosting the door, I needed to find some ibuprofen. ASAP. 

Yanking the door open, I glared at the offender. Finding Baron on the other side, his fist raised like he was going to continue slamming it against the door that was no longer there, I rapidly blinked my eyes. Sure I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation, I tilted my head at him. “You aren’t supposed to be here yet.”

It was true. Smackdown was in Portland last night, and I fully expected him to stay there since it was a short trip to Seattle. Most of the roster chose to stay the extra night and drive the next day in order to rest before the live show. 

Without speaking, Baron pushed his way into my room, letting the door close behind him. He was in black Tapout track pants and a black band t-shirt, a beanie low on his head. He was absolutely gorgeous, if not intensely intimidating at the same time. My eyes roved over him, absorbing every tiny detail after being away from him for four days. He looked tired and stoic, like he had a huge weight on his shoulders. My hands itched to soothe the lines on his forehead, lines I knew were from stress and worry.

Taking a step towards me, he crowded me against the wall. I was forced to look up at him as my back pushed up against the cool surface. “Did you mean it?”

His gravelly voice hit me low in my stomach, and I was instantly wet. Confused, I blinked up at him, wishing he would take that extra step to press his body against mine. “Mean what?”

An almost inaudible moan came from him, and he clenched his hands at his side. “The voicemail. Did you mean it.”

Oh. The voicemail. I ducked my head, trying to hide the deep blush and utter embarrassment that crossed my face. What should I do? Play it off? Deflect? Or admit the truth and watch him walk away? No, I reassured myself. He wouldn’t be here if he was going to walk away. He wouldn’t have made the three hour trip after a house show to pound on my hotel door at 4am if he was going to leave me.

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I looked back up at him, my heart beating wildly in my chest. “Yes, I meant it.”

This time, I could hear him groan. His hands reached up to cup my jaw, his thumbs under my chin, tilting it up. His lips hovered over mine, and I whimpered. “Say it again,” he whispered. “I want to hear it.”

I didn’t hesitate. “I love you, Baron.”

His lips crashed against mine, both of us moaning together. My hands wrapped themselves in his shirt, clutching it as a lifeline. “I love you, too, Riley. I’ve loved you for years, since NXT, since you tripped and landed in my arms the first night of your internship.”

I couldn’t stop the giggle that came from my mouth, remembering how utterly embarrassed both of had been that night. I trailed my lips to Baron’s jawline, nipping through his beard as he kissed my neck. Instantly I sobered when his hands delved under my shirt, lightly caressing the skin he found there. My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to me as one hand smoothed its way over my ass and to my bare thigh. Our lips met again, and Baron bent down to pick me up, my legs encircling his hips as he pinned me to the wall.

Aggressively, I pulled the beanie from his head, spearing my fingers through his hair and moaning. “I missed you,” I whispered against his mouth.

“Mmm,” he moaned, pulling back to peer at me. “I missed you, Baby Girl. And I’m gonna show you how much, too.”

Pushing us off the wall, he carried me to the bed, ripping back the sheets and comforter before laying me down. Sitting up, I pulled my shirt off, loving the sound he made upon only seeing me in my underwear. Soon, his shirt and pants were on the floor, leaving him only in his boxer briefs. Reaching up, I laid my hands on the birds on his chest, feeling the fluttering of his heartbeat against my skin. Crawling over me, Baron settled between my legs, catching me in a searing kiss that left me breathless and dizzy. His hands splayed over my ribs, his thumbs under my breasts. I shifted restlessly, wanting him to touch my nipples, to move his hands, to do anything other than just hold me down.

As I squirmed against him, I could feel his hardness pressing against my thigh. “Baron,” I begged, “Baron, please!”

Swiping my bottom lip with his tongue he grinned at me. “Oh, you beg so prettily for me. One day, we are going to explore that a bit more. But you’re right, I need to get inside of you.”

I felt my body catch fire at his words, and my core flooded with heat. Watching as he stood to push his briefs down, I couldn’t stop my hand from sneaking into my underwear to rub at my clit. A low keen pulled from my throat at feeling how wet I was, and Baron’s eyes turned molten.

With one hand I pulled aside my underwear, feeling incredibly bold with the wanton look in his eyes. That look was for me, and for me only, and I wanted to be everything he could ever want. Dipping down with my other hand, I collected some of my wetness on my fingers, bringing it up to my lips to lick them clean. Groaning at the taste, my eyes closed momentarily.

Baron’s stuttered breath had me reopening them, seeing his cock pumped by his own fist. The sight was incredibly hot, his long, hard dick flushed, wrapped up in the big, strong hand I loved. Replacing my fingers back on my clit, I swirled them around the bundle of nerves before traveling farther down to my hole, pushing them inside with no hesitation. I gasped, feeling my slick grow. “God, Baron, it feels so good!”

He planted his feet wider, his hand adding an extra twist down his length. “Fuck, Baby, you look so hot!”

“I want it to be you!” I whined, my hips pushing up in the air in time with my thrusts. “Please!”

In the blink of an eye, Baron was on top of me, ripping my hand away from my pussy and replacing it with his cock, thrusting up in me with one fast movement.

“Fuck!” I screamed, clawing his shoulders, my legs again wrapping around his waist in an effort to hold on.

He didn’t wait for me to stretch out for him, and the slight burn turned me on even more than I could ever imagine. His pace was rapid, but his thrusts were shallow, as if he knew how close I was and he wanted to make it last just a little while longer. Just his nearness was enough to set me off, but he was having none of that, refusing to go deeper, avoiding that spot we both knew I craved for him to brush against.

“I came here with the intention of making love to you, Riles, but Goddammit, seeing you in just a t-shirt and underwear, fucking messy hair, and that sleepy expression on your face…” His breath was heavy, his eyes zeroed in on mine as I struggled to keep them open. One hand at my hip also bunched my underwear to the side, and the fabric scraping over my clit was maddening. “I’m sorry Baby, but this isn’t gonna be love making.”

Yanking out of me, he flipped me over onto my stomach, ripping the underwear down my legs and across the room. The abruptness of the move had me gasping for air, even as he pushed my legs together and entered me again. “Shit,” I groaned, burying my face in the mattress. The added tightness of my core had me feeling every single inch of Baron’s length, every vein and ridge, as he slid into me, bottoming out and jerking his hips. The move caused him to rub against my g-spot, and I felt the sheets grow damp under me. Instinctively, I squeezed my legs tighter, trying to appease the throbbing of my clit. Baron groaned, crouching above me, his hands braced on either side of me. 

“Damn, Riley. Do that again.”

Biting the sheet, I tried to hold back my grin. Oh, he liked that, did he? Tightening my core again, Baron let out a guttural moan. 

His hips bucked and I squealed, but this time he didn’t stop at just doing it once, he continued his earlier pace, but deep and hard, like he was aiming for my spot with every thrust. Breathing was difficult with such a larger man pushing me into the bed, but I didn’t care. I was on fire, my pussy constantly dripping, and I could feel my release tightening in my belly. “So good, so good,” I chanted with what little air I had. 

“Yeah, Baby.” Baron put his knees to the side of my hips, changing the angle just slightly so that he was rubbing against my front wall. “Gonna cum for me? I can feel how wet you are, like a fucking waterfall. Come on, let go. Do it!”

His words were the match and I was the gasoline. As I absorbed them, I was set aflame, my orgasm hitting me swift and quick. Gripping the sheets in my hands, I again bit down on them, trying for all I was worth not to scream too loud. Adrenaline rushed through me and my legs began to shake between Baron’s thighs, my breath panting from my lungs. His hands ran up and down my back, his mouth at my ear telling me how amazing and beautiful I was.

As I came down from my high, Baron pulled out of me again, maneuvering us so that he was lying on the bed with me over him, my back to his chest. My body was completely limp and useless, and I felt like a sleepy puppet, completely content to let my master position me to his liking. He pulled my legs apart so that they were held open by his thick thighs, leaving me completely exposed to the cool temperature of the room. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he whispered in my ear, “Put me in you.”

I shivered, leaning up to reach between my legs. Taking him in my hand, I realized it was the first time I had ever held his cock, and I couldn’t resist giving him a slight squeeze and pumping him a few times. He groaned, the vibration of his chest causing goosebumps to break out on my body. Feeling my wetness on his dick, I marveled at how hard he was.

“What did I say, Riley? I said put it in, not play with it,” he growled.

Hearing the dominant side of Baron slip out thrilled me, but I didn’t want to push him. Leaning forward just a little bit more, I lined him up against my pussy and shifted my hips down, reveling in the slight pressure before he slipped in. Lying back down against his chest, I stilled, waiting to see what he would do now. 

“Cross your arms across your chest and hold onto my biceps,” he told me. Following his directions, I felt Baron’s hips drive into me, his feet planted on the mattress, lifting both our lower halves off the bed. Baron was like a freight train, and all I could do was lay limp against him, gripping his arms, my legs swinging in the air. His grunts and pants in my ear had my eyes rolling into the back of my head. “I love you.”

Once again, his words set me off, and wetness flooded out of me as my second orgasm of the night blindsided me. My thighs were damp and my clit throbbed as I shook, moaning. “I love you, I love you,” I repeated. “Fuck! Touch me!”

Immediately one hand came down and slapped my clit rapidly, causing me to squirt again. “Ugh!” I moaned, my ass shifting against his thrusting hips. “Cum, Baron, cum!”

His fingers pinched my clit and another spasm rolled through me, his dick touching me everywhere I needed him to. “I’m cumming, Baby, right now. Where do you want it?”

“On me!” I panted, reaching between our thighs, pulling him out of me and jacking him off. The first spurt of cum startled me, landing right above my pussy on my stomach. The second and the third I was waiting for, mesmerized as it sprayed my lower lips and slid down onto the bed. Slowly, trickles of cum dribbled from the head and onto my hand, covering it like a dripping ice cream cone. Baron’s grunts of “Fuck me!” and “Shit!” spurned me on, and I continued to pump him until every last drop was milked from his softening dick.

Now, Baron was the one shaking, and I felt feminine pleasure run through me. I did that. It was because of me he felt good.

Still softly stroking him, I turned my head to look at him over my shoulder. Looking absolutely wrecked, he smiled up at me. “You are beautiful.” A finger reached up and pushed my hair away from my face.

Letting his dick go, I laid back against him, both our legs still wide open. My body felt as if an electrical current ran through it, and I couldn’t help but lace my fingers in Baron’s and run them down to my pussy. Tracing my lower lips, I knew I was gathering cum on our fingers. Sliding our hands up my body, through the puddle of cum on my stomach, I brought them to my lips, tasting our intermingled wetness.

Baron groaned, watching me with wide eyes. Pulling his hand from mine, he turned my head, capturing my lips and sharing our taste with me.

Carefully, so as to not part from the kiss, I turned over, pressing my core against his thigh, loving the feeling of his skin on mine. Pulling from the kiss, I laid my head on his chest. “I’m so sleepy now.”

Baron chuckled, wrapping his arms around my back and pulling me close. “Go to sleep, Baby Girl. I’ll wake you up in a few hours for another round.”


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning found me up early, while Baron groaned as I escaped the bed. Even exhausted, I couldn’t lay there anymore. As water poured over my head from the shower, I closed my eyes, absorbing everything that had happened in the last few hours. Make up sex with Baron was pretty damn great, and the mutual “I love you” was even better, but my newfound confidence was astounding to me. Thinking back, if my mother would have known how I acted, she would have called me a hussy. Of course, she was one to talk. 

Shaking my head, I turned around to start washing my hair. I didn’t know where that thought came from. I loved my mom. Sure, I had some resentment built up, but who wouldn’t in my situation? After she and my dad split up, I spent all my time trying to be the perfect daughter, just to make their lives easier. Good grades? Check. Job at sixteen? Check. Boyfriends? Uncheck. I thought if I kept to myself, and didn’t bring any drama to our family, things would get better. 

Sure, I wasn’t a social person anyway, so I told myself it all worked out for the better. And I wasn’t one to live with regrets. Life happens the way it happens for a reason. But standing there in that shower, thinking back to how worked up I got with Baron, I felt cheated. At 29 years old, I’d been with a total of two people. I had no idea what my body could do, how it could or would react to pleasure. Except I got a crash course last night.

Rinsing my hair, I soaped up quickly, then turned the shower off and got out. My stomach was growling, and I knew we’d miss out on breakfast if we didn’t move it. Wrapping myself in a towel, I ran another one through my hair and walked back into the bedroom, finding Baron asleep on his stomach on the bed. The white sheets were low on his back, and he had one leg stuck out. He looked like a colorful starfish with how his arms and legs spread across the space.

Smiling, I made my way beside him, leaning over to kiss his back. “Baron?”

“Hmm?” he asked sleepily. 

“I’m hungry.” My hands found themselves running along his arms, and my body instantly heated up.

“Me too,” he mumbled into the pillow. “But I’m tired.”

Dropping the towel I had for my hair onto the floor, I figured drastic measures were needed. Hitching my leg over him, I sat on his lower back, pressing my pussy to his hip bone. The towel wrapped around me was small, just enough to cover my torso. “But my stomach is angry,” I softly whined.

Underneath me, I felt his body tense. “Well now I’m angry,” he growled.

My mouth dropped open. “Why are you angry?” Did I overstep my bounds? I knew he wasn’t a morning person, but I didn’t think he’d get mad at me for waking him up.

Before I could blink, Baron had somehow flipped underneath me, his once tired eyes now blazing with heat, his fingers digging into my hips. Oh no. He really was mad at me. “Because,” he rasped, sitting up so that we were nose to nose. “You are sitting on me, naked, and food is gonna have to wait.”

His mouth crashed to mine and I squeaked with shock, my hands flying to his bare shoulders to keep my balance. “Baron!” I protested, pulling back. “I really thought you were angry with me.” My bottom lip poked out just a bit.

I thought he would laugh, but his brow furrowed. “Riles, I don’t have any reason to be angry.” Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “In fact, I’m gonna be super cheesy. Wanna hear it?” 

Tracing the star tattoo on his shoulder, I nodded.

“I’m so fucking happy right now, I could sing,” he whispered, kissing my nose.

“Ewww!” I shrieked, lightly pushing him away from me. “Don’t sing, it’s so bad!” Crawling off of him, I put a hand to my chest to hold the towel in place.

Baron chuckled, swinging his legs to the side of the bed. “I caught a peek!”

Rolling my eyes, I made my way back towards the bathroom. “You won’t get anymore than that if you don’t feed me dammit!”

********************

Breakfast was short affair, as we were both pressed for time. Even between hurried bites, Baron still took the time to brush his fingers over mine or lean over to give me a kiss. Smitten Baron was a sight to behold. And I probably wasn’t much better. Those pesky heart eyes, and all.

Upon arriving at the arena, Baron gave me a quick kiss and headed off towards the men’s locker room before going to do media, and I went to find where I would be working that day. A stage hand guided me to a back hallway where a small table and a fold out chair were set up. I rolled my eyes, the high life of a WWE graphic designer. Deciding to see if I could find Becky before getting to work, I turned on my heel to leave the hall. As per usual, when the WWE arrived, we took over. There wasn’t a wall that didn’t have crates and boxes lined up against it, and as the wrestlers and talent got geared up, they also perched on top of the rolling squares. I found Becky sitting on top of one in the main hall, quickly typing away at her phone.

“Hey Becky!” I greeted, nudging her knee. She was in a pair of shorts and a hoodie, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

Giving me a small smile, she nodded at me. “Hi Riley. How are you doin?”

Something was off with her, but I wasn’t sure what it was. She seemed quieter than normal and even her bright orange hair appeared duller. “I’m alright. Just got here, and was shown to a CEO worthy office.” Grinning at her, I hope she could sense my sarcasm.

Either she didn’t catch on, or she didn’t notice. “Oh that’s great.”

My brow furrowed. I hated seeing Becky this way. “Hey, what’s going on with you?”

Putting her phone down, she sighed. “Charlotte broke up with me.”

Oh God no. I reached out and put my hand on her arm. “Becky I am so sorry.”

She shrugged, reaching up to wipe her nose with the back of her hand. “It is what it is. We’ve been through this before.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I still wanted to comfort her. Of course, I had no idea how to do that exactly, so I just stood there awkwardly, wishing I could infuse her with good vibes via osmosis. Luckily, Becky was a talker. “After Charlotte took me home last week, you know, after the bar, we got into a big fight. It was so stupid too. She wasn’t mad I outed us, not really. I mean, she was embarrassed. We had always been so careful!” She shook her head. “But I told her I was tired of hiding, that maybe Tanya knowing was a good thing, that we could finally tell the world. That was when she said if she wanted the world to know her business, that she would tell them.”

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know Charlotte well, but I couldn’t imagine her slinging those words at Becky. She always seemed so calm and collected.

Becky continued. “So she left, saying she needed time to think. Then yesterday she calls me and says that she thinks we need to go our separate ways, that it isn’t working out. And she wouldn’t answer any of my questions and now I just heard she requested a transfer to Raw.” Sobs began wracking her body, and my mouth dropped open. Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I pulled her close. 

“I’m sorry Becky,” I whispered. What could I say? I had no idea any of this was going on while Baron and I had been embroiled in our own drama. And I couldn’t do anything to help them, so hugging Becky was all I could offer. But I wondered what Charlotte’s actual reasons were. And to leave Smackdown? That was extreme. What happened that couldn’t be fixed? Leaning away from her, I rubbed her back. “Can I help at all?”

Giving a broken chuckle, she wiped her eyes. “Not unless you have any chocolate in that bag of yours.”

Adjusting the strap of the mentioned bag, I shrugged. “Sorry, just a laptop and a mouse in here.”

She shook her head. “I have to wrestle Trinity tonight. I need to get myself together.” Sighing, she looked behind me down the hall. “Baron is coming. He’s on a warpath since I told him about Charlotte. Keep him grounded, yeah?”

With that, she jumped off the crate and all but ran down the hallway. Keep Baron calm? What the Hell did that mean? Turning, I found him walking up to me, frowning as Becky turned the corner. “Is she avoiding me?”

I nodded. “Sure is. Says you are pissed off. What’s going on with you?” I looked up at him, seeing the tenseness around his lips.

He glared, but it wasn’t directed at me. “So I’ve been doing some digging. Turns out, Tanya told the higher ups about Becky and Charlotte, and they gave Charlotte an ultimatum. Break it off with Becky and go to Raw, or lose her job.”

Loud ringing echoed in my ears. “What? How did you find that out?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave me a sardonic grin. “I may or may not have bullied one of Vince’s assistants into sharing the information with me.”  
“Baron!” I chastised. 

He didn’t have a repentant bone in his body. “Look, my friend is hurting, and I needed to know why. So I did what I did, and I’m not sorry.”

Protective Baron always made me melt, and this time was no different. Putting my hand on his wrist, I gave a light squeeze. “I know. I get it. Just, be careful. Becky losing Charlotte from Smackdown is one thing, but I don’t think losing you too would make her feel any better.”

Giving me a quick kiss on the forehead, he nodded. “It will be fine. I got the info I needed, now I need to figure out how to get them two back together.”

I grinned up at him. “Gonna play matchmaker, Mr. Corbin?”

“Just call me Cupid.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley finds herself in a position she's never been in before, with actions that have consequences

Renee Young and I were sitting next to each other near the photoshoot area. Bright lights, a green background, and cables were everywhere. I had my laptop open, scrolling though different backgrounds to use for a new NXT Superstar that was debuting tonight, and she was going over questions she was supposed to ask him in the interview segment later. Unfortunately, Tanya was also nearby, her makeup case open as she rummaged through it, looking for God knows what. She was making a lot of sighing and groaning noises, muttering under her breath.

Leaning over slightly towards Renee, I indicated Tanya with my chin. “What’s her deal today? She looks super nervous.”

Looking up, Renee rolled her eyes. “This guy, the NXT one, is apparently a looker, and right up her alley. Earlier she was describing, in loud detail, what she wanted to do with him.”

I scrunched up my nose. “Why is she always trying to crawl into the wrestler’s pants?”

Chuckling, Renee crossed her legs. “Probably because none of them want to crawl into hers.”

Sharing a laugh, we chatted about the different going ons at WWE, including the upcoming overseas tour, before noticing Triple H walking up with a man beside him. He was tall, but not as tall as Baron, dressed in a gray suit with a black shirt, no tie, with a black pocket square on his chest. But what caught my attention were the tattoos on his hands, neck and a small one on his face.

“Wow, no wonder she likes him,” I muttered to Renee.

She nodded. “I bet that’s her opening line.”

I agreed. No doubt she would chat him up about the tattoos. We watched as Triple H made the introductions, including Renee and myself. “Ladies, this is Aleister Black. Aleister, this is Renee Young, WWE Head Correspondent, and Riley Wilkens, Smackdown Live’s Graphic Designer.”

We both shook his hand, and he nodded at us, not speaking. Hunter walked Aleister over to Tanya, who turned to face him with a shriek. “Ali! It’s so good to see you! Here, have a seat.”

 _Ali?_ I looked at Renee who I swore was going to vomit. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she breathed.

Putting a hand over my mouth, I coughed a laugh. Sarah showed up to do Aleister’s hair, although, with it shaved on both sides and long on top, held back with a hair tie, there wasn’t much for her to do with it. Watching the two women fawn all over him was mind boggling. Just as we thought, Tanya immediately began peppering him with questions about his tattoos, while he sat still in the chair, his countenance completely blank. It was a good thing he wasn’t trying to reply, because she wasn’t stopping long enough to take a breath.

Corey Graves walked up, putting a hand on my shoulder in greeting as he passed by me to say hi to our newcomer. By Aleister’s response, an actual smile and a hug for Corey, it seemed they knew each other, probably from Corey’s frequent trips down to NXT. They spoke quietly as Tanya fluttered around, stepping between them with a foundation brush every now and then. Graves nodded and turned towards me, walking away from Aleister. Arriving back to us, he grinned. “She’s driving him nuts.”

Renee laughed. “She called him Ali.”

Corey flinched. “I was at a bar with him one night and a co-worker called him that. He laid him flat out with a single punch. Not pretty.”

Tilting my head, I watched as Tanya tapped her finger against Aleister’s neck, indicating the tattoo there. “I feel sorry for her sometimes. What must it be like to put out all that energy trying to make people like you, and they in turn hate your guts?” Their silence caught my attention, and I looked at them. “What?”

Renee chuckled. “Only you could make me feel sorry for someone as atrocious as her.”

Corey nodded. “Leave it to Riley, always making us feel bad for the bad guy.”

I snorted. “Bad guy infers that’s she’s some criminal mastermind. I just think she is lonely, and tries too hard.”

Seeing Alesiter stand and move in from of the camera at the photographer’s instruction, Renee stood too. “Well, whatever her reasons, as long as she keeps her distance from Dean and I, life will be peachy.”

Grinning at her, Corey said, “Dean doesn’t have any tats, she isn’t interested.”

Sticking her tongue out at him over her shoulder she quipped, “None that you can see!”

Corey laughed, waving at me as he moved off. Renee spoke quietly to Aleister, and I took a moment to watch him. He was respectful, but most certainly a man of few words. I couldn’t tell if he was nervous at all about his debut, his expression never changed. I wasn’t sure if Renee was going to be able to get anything out of him, but obviously the higher ups expected an interview.

Refocusing on the task at hand, I selected a few backgrounds for his photoshoot. Now that I had seen him, and had sort of gotten a read on him, I knew lighter colors weren’t going to work. As I edited, a felt a presence at my side, and I looked up to find Tanya beside me, her eyes still on Aleister. She was tapping a makeup brush against her cheek, musing to herself.

“I bet,” she said, her voice low, “That he’s a grunter.”

Confused, I felt my brows furrow. “What are you talking about?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but if I knew Tanya, she wasn’t going to go anywhere until she got under my skin.

Casting a quick glance down at me, she rolled her eyes. “In the bedroom. He’s so stoic, I bet when you get him beneath the sheets, he hardly makes a sound. God, I’d love to be the one to force him to make noise.”

Ok, now I was disgusted, and the conversation was very awkward. “Tanya, that’s inappropriate. He’s a co-worker. And a rookie on the roster at that.”

Surprise seemed to flit over her face. I’d never voiced my opinion to her before, always shrinking away from any type of conflict. “Who are you to tell me what’s inappropriate? You currently fuck our United States Champion, and your two best friends carpet munch each other. Aren’t they co-workers?”

Rage boiled in my blood. Tolerance for Tanya’s bullshit was at an all time low, and this anger I was feeling towards her was new to me. As uncomfortable as I was, I just wanted to get away until this feeling disappeared. So I stood, closing my laptop, with the intention of moving towards the photographer. I hoped he was a safe haven, someone Tanya wouldn’t dare spew her filth around.

Moving around her, I was aware that Aleister and Renee were filming, and she was actually getting him to speak. Renee was a master at making people feel comfortable, and I wished for her by my side instead of having to deal with the Make-Up Artist From Hell.

Grabbing my arm, Tanya stopped me. “Not going to say anything? Typical. You always were a little weasel with no backbone.”

Before I knew what I was doing, my fist balled up and slammed into her nose. One time was all it took for her to cry out and crumple into the chair I had just vacated, her hands dropping the brush and coming up to cup her nose. “You crazy bitch!”

Abrupt silence followed, and I tore my eyes away from Tanya’s pained countenance to find everyone staring at me. Renee looked shocked, her microphone still in front of Aleister, who had a surprised but appreciative expression on his face.

Clearing my throat, I gave them and the crew a slight awkward nod. “Um, excuse me. Sorry to interrupt.”

Turning quickly, I tripped over the chair Renee had been sitting in, rushing out of the area. Escape. I just needed to escape. Panic flooded my body and I felt flushed, My face was burning, and a sweat was breaking out on my body. Hide. Just hide, my brain begged.

Rushing through the hallways, I was completely unaware of my surroundings, and as I turned a corner, I slammed into Big E, which felt like getting hit by a Mack truck.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed, gripping my arms to keep me upright. “What’s the rush?”

Shaking my head to clear the dizziness, I looked up at him. “Do you know where Baron is?”

“Men’s locker room,” Big E, responded, tossing a thumb over his shoulder.

“Is it empty?”

He searched my face, and frowned at what he saw there. He knew I wasn’t asked because I wanted to be alone with Baron. I was asking because something was wrong.

“No, but I’ll take you, at least.”

I nodded, following him down the hall, his hand still on my upper arm. I could feel myself begin to shake, and Big E kept throwing me concerned looks as we walked.

Arriving at the locker room, he let go of me and went inside, closing the door behind him. Gripping my laptop like a lifeline, I leaned against the wall with my eyes closed. Panic was squeezing my heart and made breathing difficult. My phone began vibrating in my back pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Kevin Dunn.

_I heard. Call me._

On instinct, I threw myself towards the trash can that was near the corner of the hall, my arm swiping the lid off before my stomach purged itself of its contents. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I dry heaved, my thoughts running rampant. How did he know so fast? Who told him? Was I going to lose my job? Did I really hurt Tanya that bad?

I heard a faint squeak of a door and a shout, then my computer was being taken from me and a hand was on my back. “Baron?” I asked weakly.

“Yeah Baby. Hey, what’s going on? Why are you sick? Big E said you came running around the corner so fast you almost knocked him over.” I could hear the worry in his voice, but I had to chuckle a bit. I wasn’t sure anyone could knock Big E over, certainly not me.

Lifting myself up, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. God now I felt gross. Looking up at my boyfriend, tears again began to leak out. “I punched Tanya.”

If I wasn’t in the situation, I probably would have laughed at how Baron blankly blinked at me. It was comical, except, it wasn’t funny. Not with my career on the line.

“I’m sorry, I must have misheard you. What?”

When I didn’t respond, he stepped away from me and slammed the locker room door open. “I’m bringing her in! Get decent!”

Muffled groans and curses could be heard as Baron gripped my arm and pulled me into no-woman’s land. It was against company policy for women to be in the men’s locker room, and vice versa, for obvious reasons.

As I breached the doorway, I saw men tugging on t-shirts and some escaping to the showers. I tried to keep my eyes downcast as Baron led me around the first bank of cubbies to the second, which was currently empty. There were bags on the benches and clothes hung up, but Baron sat me down near the end where his stuff was.

He dug through his bag and handed me his travel sized mouthwash. “I’ll get you a cup to spit in.”

As unromantic as spitting in a cup was, the gesture was still sweet. Away from prying eyes, I began to calm down a bit, and I leaned over with my head hanging between my knees. My phone continued to vibrate on and off, gripped in my hand, but I just couldn’t deal with that yet.

As soon as Baron disappeared, he was back, a small paper cup in his hands. Taking it from him, I swigged out of the mouthwash bottle, swirled it around my mouth, and spit it in the cup. Baron took it from me and tossed it into a garbage can somewhere I couldn’t see. Sitting next to me, he wrapped his arm around my back.

“Start talking.”

I couldn’t gauge his mood. Was he disappointed in me? Angry? Shocked? I was all of those things rolled into one, so I suppose I couldn’t blame him if he was. I quietly launched into the story, aware that the guys of the roster were on the other side of the room and could probably hear every word I said.

Sighing, I shook my head, trying to reconcile what I had done. “I can’t believe I hit her. I’ve never hit anyone in my life. Now Kevin is texting me. What if I lose my job?” The small sob escaped my throat before I could stop it, and I pressed my knuckles against my lips.

Baron shushed me, rubbing small circles on my back. “I’m proud of you.”

The statement came from nowhere, and I snapped my head to the side to stare at him. “What? How could you possibly be proud of me? This is not who I am!”

His brown eyes were clear, and his hair was up in a bun on top of his head. Even while having an internal crisis, I found myself marveling that this beautiful man was mine. “How could I not be proud of you? You stood up for yourself, Riley. It might have been a moment where you lost control, but you shut her up.”

Shaking my head, I said, “It wasn’t right.”

He gave a slight shrug, but he wasn’t brushing my feelings off. It was more of an acknowledgment. “Tanya has been nothing but a problem for us for weeks. She put her hands on me, she talked down to you, and she broke Becky and Charlotte up. Hitting her might have been wrong, but you have to admit it felt good. Didn’t it?”

And there is was. The truth I didn’t want to accept. Deep down, underneath the sudden onslaught of anxiety, was the feeling of pride I didn’t recognize at first. Physical violence felt good. At least in this case. It was exhilarating, exciting, a huge risk with no reward and a taste for danger.

“What if this is who I am now?” I whispered, looking down at my hands.

I heard Baron chuckle, and gasped when he turned me on the bench, facing him. His hands were cupping my neck, his thumbs under my chin, tilting it up so I met his gaze. “Baby girl, let me tell you who you are. You are the most passionate, forgiving, understanding, faithful, loyal person I have ever met in my life. Honestly, you let people get away with too much, you take on so much pain and you act like you deserve it. Believe me when I say, you don’t. So no, you punching Tanya does not make you a bad person. I know that’s what you are thinking, and I’m not going to let you get away with it. She deserved it, and you gave it to her.”

Biting my lip, I nodded at him. Internally, I still waged a war with myself. I should have known Baron would try to talk me out of feeling guilty.

Hooking his hands under my thighs, Baron dragged my legs over his, scooting me closer to him. Wrapping his arms around me, he kissed my forehead. I toyed with my phone in my hands between us, knowing I was going to have to deal with the repercussions of what I had done.

“I have to call Kevin,” I whispered, my eyes downcast.

Keeping his lips to my skin, Baron nodded. “I know. But it can wait another minute or two.”

I let the sounds of the guys in the locker room fade into the background, the mumbles and the laughs, the sound of water running and bags being zipped and unzipped. While I was still terrified to call my boss, I felt a momentary calm settle around me. Attributing it to Baron, I peeked up at him through my eyes lashes. His brown eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on his face as he held me.

“Baron?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

A huge smile spread across his face. It was so different from his cocky expression when he was out in the ring as the United States Champion. It was full of joy and youthfulness, and I felt my heart swell. “I love you too, Riles.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, moving the plot along

Sitting at my small table in the back hallway, I hung up my phone and stared at my hands. Kevin was a nice guy, never raised his voice, but I sensed his disappointment in me, and that was enough to make my shakes come back. Due to my actions, Kevin decided I was no longer fit to be the Raw Interim Graphics Designer while the current one was on maternity leave. It was a huge blow, a crushing defeat of my career trajectory, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Actions had consequences, and now I had to deal with it. I just counted my lucky stars I still had a job.

“Oh,” a male voice muttered at the end of the hallway. “I apologize, I didn’t know this hall was taken.”

I looked up to find Aleister standing in front of me, dressed in his wresting gear, boots, and a vest. My eyes darted around nervously, but we were alone. “Oh, um, yeah, welcome to my office.”

A slight quirk of his lips resembled a smile. “Nice.”

Sarcasm? Possibly.

“Is it ok if I warm up right here? I promise I won’t be long,” he asked.

Again, my eyes flew around the space. It really was narrow, only about five feet across and ten feet deep from the entrance. It was an odd space off the main drag, and I could only imagine it was used for storage most of the time. Not knowing what to say, I just shrugged.

Aleister gave me a short nod and turned so his back was against the wall, leaning over to stretch his arms down to his boots. Deciding he really was going to leave me alone, I opened my laptop to answer some emails, knowing I was massively behind on the day’s to-do list.

Time passed, with silence reigning between us. It was comfortable, and my attention was entirely focused on my task, so when Aleister spoke again, it caused me to jump slightly.

“What you did before, hitting that girl, that took guts.”

Looking up at him over my screen, I saw he was stretching one arm over his chest, but looking at me. Biting my lower lip, I grimaced. “It’s not something I’m proud of.”

He nodded. “Renee explained the situation. She didn’t want me thinking you were disgruntled.”

I had to laugh. Renee always had my back. Shrugging, I said, “There is some bad blood, but I shouldn’t have done it.”

He was quiet for a moment as he switched arms. “Sometimes, extreme measures are needed. Hopefully she got the clue.”

Clearing my throat, I shook my head. “Well, I hope. And I hope your time on the main roster is everything you dreamed it could be.”

He smiled at me indulgently, and without saying goodbye, he turned and walked away. As he did, my words echoed back to me. What the Hell did I just say to him? Like I was a proud parent or something? Or a failed motivational speaker? Groaning, I leaned my head into my hands on the table, rubbing my eyes. God, everything I did backfired. I couldn’t even have a normal conversation with a stranger without saying something weird.

Even from my hole in the back of the arena, I could hear Aleister’s music hit, and the crowd went insane. Of course, my mind’s eye was watching the entrance video I had helped edit for Smackdown’s program, and I wondered what it looked like with 8,000 screaming fans, the music, the lights, and the enigmatic Black walking down the ramp.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter, rewriting it with about 5 different scenarios in 3 different locations. I'm still not overly happy with it, but after battling it for so long, I pretty must just let Riley and Colin tell me how they'd go about it and moved on. Muses are funny things people

My knuckles were bruising, turning purple and blue in interesting shades. I sat at an outside table at a cute little bistro in downtown Tampa, waiting on Colin to arrive so that we could have lunch. Arriving home from Seattle the previous day, Baron had stayed the night at my apartment and then left this morning. He had his own life, that did not completely revolve around me, and there were things he had to get to, so I decided to arrange a lunch with my brother.

But my hand was distracting me from the beautiful Florida day. I kept thinking of Tanya, how my hand felt against her skin as her nose collapsed beneath it. Kevin told me I had broken her nose. It was a clean break, easily reset, but Renee had sent me a text that said she had two black eyes and her face was swollen.

Baron seemed to grin like a kid eating his favorite candy everytime the situation came up. He didn’t say much, but he’d throw me knowing glances, and laugh. I still felt horrible, but I wasn’t sure if that feeling was because of me hurting her, or because I was more than willing to do it again.

The chair across from me scraped against the concrete, startling me and grating on my nerves. I looked up to find Colin sitting down, looking dapper in a gray suit and red tie.

“Hello, favorite sister,” he greeted, smiling at me.

Colin was a tall, slender man who drew the ladies like flies. I was never sure what it was about him, to me he was just my brother. But no matter where we were, he got looks, stares, and was flirted with shamelessly. His dark hair was short, and it looked freshly cut. Hazel eyes gleamed with something akin to mischief on a permanent basis, and his ready smile was on full display.

“Hey, you look great,” I replied, placing my napkin in my lap.

Shrugging, he mimicked my movements and then opened his menu. “Gotta look good for the patrons, you know?”

“Oh sure,” I quipped, “All those football players, mega-billionaires, and trophy wives that you encounter everyday.”

Chuckling, he nodded, “Exactly. If I look like a million bucks, it means I can handle their millions of bucks.”

We were silent for a few moments as we perused the menu. It wasn’t complicated. Light fare of soups and sandwiches, artistically arranged on a plate with tiny portions. The décor was adorable, very Hollywood Parisian, with the wait staff wearing black and white striped shirts and berets. Actually, it was so cute it was almost nauseating.

As the thought crossed my mind, our waitress stepped up, a big, pearly smile beaming at us, her blue eyes automatically finding Colin and immediately dismissing me. Sighing, I watched her blonde ponytail bob as she nodded to every word Colin said.

“….and if you don’t have the peach tea I’ll take the green tea with one lemon. Only one. And no lime! Last time I was here you guys tried to substitute the lemon with a lime and it was disgusting.”

Her nod was almost violent, I was actually worried about her neck. “Oh no, we have the peach tea. I’ll make sure you get that.” Almost as an afterthought, she turned to me. “And you?”

Smiling politely, I closed my menu, setting it down in front of me. “Just a water, please.” She pivoted on her heel and walked off. I looked at Colin. “I think you need to spend some time back at Grandma’s. She would have slapped your face to hear you dictating like that.”

He only shrugged. “Talk the talk, walk the walk.”

Mild confusion crossed my face. “Are you saying that you are a dick to people on purpose?”

His eyes met mine, and he put his menu down. “I’m saying if I’m clear of my expectations, I am less likely to be disappointed.”

He launched into a story about the bank and a football player that he had encountered. Only listening with half an ear, I found myself thinking about what he said. His point had merits, but his execution of it did not sit well with me, and I was surprised at how much I wanted to tell him that.

The waitress returned with our drinks and took our order, again, only looking at me the bare minimum required. Her nose was so close to her pad of paper I thought she might have an ink stain on it. When I opened my mouth to make a comment about it, Colin spoke up.

“What happened to your hand?”

I followed his eyes to my knuckles, my hand on the table next to my drink. Quickly placing it in my lap, I shook my head. “Nothing. There was an incident at work, but nothing to worry about.”

Those hazel eyes locked on mine and I instantly saw my mother peering back at me. There was no way around this, he was going to get the truth out of me. “What kind of incident at work would cause you to hurt yourself? A laptop close on your hand? Did you slam it in a door? Someone step on it? What?” His tone was changing, getting deeper and deeper and his irritation rose.

“Why are you getting so pissy?” I asked. “I’m fine.”

“Why are you deflecting, Riley?” he tossed back at me.

Having a bossy, protective sibling was extremely annoying, especially when he was like a dog with a bone. Deciding, in an effort to move past the subject, I’d just tell him the truth and be done with it, I blurted out, “I hit a girl in the nose.”

Colin’s hand slammed down on the table, rattling the silverware and rocking our glasses. The sound made me jump, and the patrons around us all glanced to see what the problem was. “You did what?” he exclaimed. “You’ve never hit anyone before in your life!”

Color rose to my cheeks and I cast my eyes down. The stares we were getting from people were mortifying me and it took everything I had to keep my butt planted in my seat. “It wasn’t something I planned on doing. We’ve been at odds lately and she said some disgusting things and I just hit her. I didn’t think about it, it just happened.”

A disgruntled noise came from his throat. “Yeah, it just happened. That’s unlikely. You don’t do things like that without thinking about it first. You aren’t that type of person. Know what? I bet this is Baron’s influence.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

“You’ve changed since you’ve started dating him, especially in the last month. For God’s sake, you punched someone!”

Inhaling through my nose to try to stay calm, I glared at my brother. “So, because I stood up for myself, because I decided I wasn’t going to take her shit anymore, you think Baron is a bad influence on me?”

“Yes,” he said simply, nodding his head once.

Suddenly, my lack of impulse control came roaring to the forefront. “Fuck. Off.”

Colin blinked, assessing my face as I sat across from him. “Excuse me?”

Frustration rose in me and I could not contain it anymore. “I am really sick of being weak, Colin. I am done with being meek and mild, of watching everyone treat me like I’m made of glass and will break at any moment. You might think Baron is a bad influence, that’s fine, you can have that opinion, but do you know what? Baron has made me feel stronger and more confident in the last two months alone than anyone else has my entire life. I’m not proud of myself for hitting Tanya, but at least I know, deep down in my heart, that I have the ability to take care of myself when threatened.”

It was Colin’s turn to glare at me as his hands fisted on the table. “You are not a fighter, Riley. You need a soft hand and a lot of guidance. Baron is leading you along a dangerous path.”

Confusing emotions roiled in my stomach. Hurt that my brother saw me as a weak child, and anger that he seemed to suddenly think I was going to turn to a life of crime, just for dating Baron. Deciding leaving was the best course of action, I stood, collecting my purse from the chair next to mine. “Well I’ll be sure not to call you when I need bail money.”

I left my big brother stuttering over his words, walking past the waitress as she brought our food out to the patio. Climbing into my car, I buckled my seatbelt and turned the ignition, tears pooling in my eyes. Growling at myself I swiped at them, pulling onto the street and heading home. It was obvious that I was changing, and it seemed Colin wasn’t ready for that. Until he was, I would just have to keep my distance.

Making a right hand turn, I felt my heart break a little. Colin had always been my constant, my rock and protector. I wasn’t sure how I would handle not having him around, not calling him when I just needed someone to talk to. It was a situation that I never saw myself having to endure, and suddenly, it was right there, and I was face to face with it.


End file.
